Questions after Benazir’s assasination
December 29, 2007 by Abhishek
Najam Sethi writes in the Daily Times, Pakistan,
Most Pakistanis are by instinct inclined to believe that the “agencies” did it. This is the easy explanation for anything that happens in this country which is either inexplicable or unpalatable. All political assassinations in Pakistan remain inexplicable since the truth about them has never been investigated or investigated but not made public. But the truth of Ms Bhutto’s assassination may also be subliminally unacceptable to many Pakistanis because a religious or “Islamist” element may be at its unpleasant core.
Very true.
It is natural that the first fingers of blame have been pointed at Musharraf. After all, he is the man in charge, and he failed to provide adequate security to a leader who has been repeatedly threatened with assasination since she returned home and who barely survived another suicide attack a month ago. Nevertheless Musharraf, though scheming and dishonest, is no fool and the question I’d like to ask those who believe he plotted this is: How on earth does this assasination benefit him?
well…
1. who else could beat him in a legitimate poll?
2. he gets to declare another state of emergency, or at least enforce one without officially announcing it.
3. he can blame Al-Qaeda and presumably co-opt international assistance in getting them the hell outta Pakistan.
@Carl!
The way I see it, the polls were Mushrraf’s last attempt to regain some legitimacy and ensure a power-sharing arrangment whereby he remains the president. As you know, the events of recent months has reduced his popularity immensely, and had it gone on that way, he would have been forced out, and perhaps worse. Benazir’s assasination destroys this ploy of his to stay in control. Everyone is now overwhelmingly against him, and the extremists- who Benazir would have been opposed to if she won- are more powerful than ever.
Abihishek,
I agree, mostly…
Things just seem to have gotten a little odd!
Carl!