Benazir Bhutto Assassinated (Updated)

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Initial reports are coming in and SM will certainly pass on the message. First, CNN Reports –

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (CNN) — Pakistan former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was targeted in a deadly suicide bombing Thursday. Media reports quote her husband saying she suffered a bullet wound to the neck in the attack.

…The attacker is said to have detonated a bomb as he tried to enter the rally where thousands of people gathered to hear Bhutto speak, police said.

Some first guesses at implications..

While President Pervez Musharraf has promised free and fair parliamentary elections next month, continued instability in the tribal areas and the threat of attack on large crowds has kept people from attending political rallies and dampened the country’s political process.

Campaigners from various political groups say fewer people are coming out to show their support due to government crackdowns and the threat of violence.

Today’s violence come less than two weeks ahead of January parliamentary elections and as many days after President Pervez Musharraf lifted a six-week-old state of emergency he said was necessary to ensure the country’s stability.

Stay tuned.

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Updates:

  • Getty’s image archive of the event makes for some powerful browsing..
  • MSNBC: “A party security adviser said Bhutto was shot in the neck and chest as she got into her vehicle, then the gunman blew himself up.”
  • Sky: “Sky News correspondent Alex Crawford said from Pakistan the country’s upcoming January elections would “most likely be postponed or cancelled” because of the attack.”
  • “What’s worse, that Musharaff may have had a role in this or that he was powerless to stop it?”
  • CNN’s obit on Bhutto
  • State Department – “It demonstrates that there are still those in Pakistan who want to subvert reconciliation and efforts to advance democracy.”
  • Very informative blog entries from NBC’s correspondant in Pakistan-
    But if you are any one of the 99.9 percent of the rest of the 165 million Pakistanis, you hardly notice the emergency law anymore….But most Pakistanis don’t feel it. Musharraf wants it that way…Most analysts here say Musharraf has damaged his reputation, perhaps critically. But so far, he hasn’t pushed people to the streets. Shops are open. Banks are open. Markets are full. Prices are the same as before emergency law. [link]
    With her white veil, bejeweled blouses, flawless English and flair for drama and theatrical timing, Benazir Bhutto has painted herself as lady liberty, a lone woman willing to risk all and stand up to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and his emergency rule…. But Pakistan is not Myanmar, and Bhutto is no Aung San Suu Kyi [link]
  • Excellent NYT article on Bhutto’s dark side –
    Ms. Bhutto, 54, returned to Pakistan to present herself as the answer to the nation’s troubles: a tribune of democracy in a state that has been under military rule for eight years, and the leader of the country’s largest opposition political party… But her record in power, and the dance of veils she has deftly performed since her return — one moment standing up to General Musharraf, then next seeming to accommodate him, and never quite revealing her actual intentions — has stirred as much distrust as hope among Pakistanis.
    …”She believes she is the chosen one, that she is the daughter of Bhutto and everything else is secondary,” said Feisal Naqvi, a corporate lawyer in Lahore who knows Ms. Bhutto … her view of the role of government differed little from the classic notion in Pakistan that the state was the preserve of the ruler who dished out favors to constituents and colleagues..
  • World Reaction including India –
    In India, which has long had a thorny relationship with its neighbors in Pakistan, an Indian Congress Party spokesman told the Press Trust of India, “… we must express our deep concern at anything that disrupts and disturbs the even keel of democratic governance in Pakistan… it is not only anti-democracy but also generates instability.”
  • Belmont Club –
    …meaningful elections can occur only when the armies — in this case the Pakistani Army and the armed Islamic militants — are committed to the processes of democracy. When every group under arms within a society is determined to settle the question of power by combat the role for the ballot is small indeed. The next few days will show whether the Pakistani Army — for it will surely not be the Taliban — can rededicate itself to electoral democracy. Pakistan needs its George Washington. Unfortunately it only has its Pervez Musharraf.

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Some of Vinod’s thoughts –

  • Both Musharaff and Bhutto are considered Pro-US / Pro-West / Secular leaders
    • Especially relative to the Islamists
    • And importantly, relative to the general population
    • Bhutto moreso than Musharraf
  • So, Jihadist forces (who are both anti-Musharraf and anti-Bhutto) are a likely culprit
    • To them, Bhutto was a powerful ally to Musharraf (rather than a rival) and potentially more dangerous in the long run
      • Knocking out an important ally wins them almost as much “cred” as taking out Musharraf directly
      • Bhutto was “more dangerous” because she was even more vocally Pro-West as well as a woman
    • “Pro-Musharraf forces” are getting the initial blame by some … but my gut leans skeptical
      • The jury is still out on whether this is a net gain or net loss for Musharraf’s interests
      • It certainly feeds the perception that he’s not in control of the country
  • Given their similarities, what are the substantive differences between Musharraf and Bhutto?
  • One key difference was their respective views of the general Pakistani population; Musharaff was a bit more of a “realist” ; Bhutto presented herself as an “idealist”
    • Musharaff feared that the populism writ large would lead to an illiberal democracy
    • Bhutto was more willing to turn to the electorate to ..
      • lead the country to more democracy (if you think she has Good Intentions)
      • secure more power / perks for herself (if you think she has Bad Intentions despite the lofty rhetoric)
    • By contrast, Musharraf feared that Bhutto’s push for “more democracy” would backfire, leading to “less liberalism” rather than realizing her (stated) intentions…
    • Perversely, Bhutto’s assassination is a perfect example of illiberality that gives Musharaff the license to enact repressive, authoritarian policy.
    • Given these similar goals but different assessments of the starting line, Musharraf sees himself as a Kemal Atatürk ; Bhutto saw herself as Indira Gandhi or Joan of Arc
  • Another difference stems from background – Musharraf came up to national leadership via the military while Bhutto through politics
    • If you believe the best hope for the country is to follow the “Turkish Model” [more info…] , the Pakistani military is comparatively more professional and a modernizing force relative to the rest of the civil service
    • So, arguably, Musharraf is potentially a more effective, less corrupt manager than a career politician.
      • of course, a “manager” and a “national leader” are 2 very different things
      • … as are “how well” you deploy power vs. “what you do with it”

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401 thoughts on “Benazir Bhutto Assassinated (Updated)”

  1. 3 · jackal said

    one particular point babar just made was that — the ppp party workers, a lot of them are in rawalpindi, and are very very die-hard, and that musharaff may not be able to handle their anger after her death. this seems to have shaken and shocked even non-supportive pakistanis.

    This is so true i woke up this morning to news of her assasination and it left me heartsick, i am not pakistani so i don’t know the full impact but this is just so sick, killing a woman who obviously had the best interest of Pakistan at heart and wanted democracy for her home country and she is killed in cold blood, it is sick.

  2. I am kind of shocked coz just last night I was reading recent BB’s Newsweek interview which I posted on SM in a different context. And now this morning I wake up to this news. In fact one of the question that was asked to BB was about her assassination

  3. My heart is hurting for Pakistan today, and my prayers go out to Bhutto’s family, her supporters and the Pakistani people. Such a beautiful woman, and such a brave and determined life extinguished foolishly! Will we never learn to stop the killing and the hatred?? I fear she may have been Pakistan’s last chance…but perhaps in her death she can be more successful in her mission that the world allowed her to be in her life.

  4. Topcat

    See Big banner Bang on top of the page? (BB assassinated). See easy instructions on banner (click here for updates). FOLLOW THEM.

  5. Rioting has already started in karachi. As for implications, after this I wonder if any politician in Pakistan will take a strong stance against the jihadis. Which probably means that the jihadis will get stronger in Pakistan. Obviously this is bad for both Pakistan and India and will probably have global consequences too if they do get too strong.

  6. 27 · Shalu said

    How incredibly tragic. =( I’m really saddened by this…I found her to be a brave woman.

    I agree with you, she struck me as a very brave woman, who was bound and determined to do what she thought was in the best interest of her country. I couldn’t believe what i woke up to this morning….just shocking.

  7. pakistan’s future just got dimmer. while i didn’t always agree with bhutto’s politics, i had immense respect for her courage; i can’t help but feel numb at the news. during her recent visit to washington, just a few weeks before returning to pakistan, i had a chance to sit with her at a small group meeting. aside from being brave, bhutto struck me as pragmatic and poised, ready to take on internal turmoil as well as external challenges. she was a shrewd politician, but also such a strong female in a world of male figures — now that hope, leadership, and courage has been extinguished.

    and her surviving mother has to live through another loss — the assassination of her father, poisoning of her brother, possible overdose of her sister…

    i agree with adil najam at pakistaniat: “Today, in shock, I can think only of Benazir Bhutto the human being. Tomorrow, maybe, I will think of politics.”

  8. will probably have global consequences

    Already has Gold / Bonds up stocks down — surefire indicator that people are feeling rather figgity about the future

    BTW last moments pics in rediff

  9. Finally Pak times has news about BB. Here is what it says “Pakistan Bomb Blast: Kills ex-PM Benazir Bhutto”

  10. Another implication is also the PPP is blaming the Army and the ISI. The Army will obviously need to crack down on this if they are unable to make the PPP give up this stance, and one can only wonder how much things will escalate if that happens. The last thing the sub continent needs is civil war in pakistan.

  11. Unfortunately she was condemned the moment she was born into the Bhutto family. Not unlike the Gandhi-Nehrus or Kennedys, for some reason these families have always had members die violent deaths.

  12. Already has Gold / Bonds up stocks down

    Of course, an unstable nuclear Pakistan with it’s Taliban and MMA is scareworthy.

  13. Hussain Haqqani (a respected pro-Benazir commentator) charged Musharraf with negligence in Bhutto’s security, and even insinuated collusion. Hamid Mir, chief of Geo TV was on CNN right now, saying that the anger in Pakistan is focused at Musharraf and not at fundamentalist organizations. This doesn’t look good for Musharraf. I don’t think he had a hand in the assassination, but low levels of the military may be involved to some extent.

  14. 7 · someone said

    I wouldn’t automatically blame Musharraf. The Paki Taliban and ilk have vowed to take over Pakistan and have been held responsible for a string of blasts in recent times.
    Regardless of Bhutto’s intentions, as a realist, Musharraf was afraid that her push for “more democracy” would lead to “less liberalism” rather than realizing those goals…

    Why not take a different angle ( though sinister ) to the recent events in Pakistan – that it has been well orchestrated ploy by Musharraf to continue his hold. He used the emergency to get rid of the judges against him and become the unchallenged president. He uses the assassination to postpone the elections or decimate any credible opposition leader. US is happy coz all they care about is nukes and osama. Btw anybody watched the recent movie Charlie Wilson’s war ? The last sentence “who cares a shit about schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan” is sad story about the region’s troubled politics.

  15. Benazir has been in public life for 30 years, and in politics for 20 years and by now you either loved her or hated her. I’m not a real Pakistani, but I remember the euphoria of 1988 pretty well, and the crashing disappointment of the her second term in the 90s, when only dedicated PPP partisans still believed in her. Reading the news this morning was like a punch in the gut.

    Time to rename Liaquat Bagh now, I suppose. Too many assassinations.

    (Metroblog Karachi has updated news in the comments. It’s all a bit chaotic right now, and way too soon for retrospectives or analysis).

  16. oh no

    I saw CNN this morning EST 8am and they mentioned the blast but not her death so this is terrible.

    i know pakistan has it’s troubles but still sad to hear of her death regardless of the politics!

  17. Modernised and independent minded women have always suffered in Islamist Pak. Singer Nadia Hassan died mysteriously too. It is time women take charge in Pak. Elect Begum Nawazish Ali.

  18. 67 · Topcat said

    Modernised and independent minded women have always suffered in Islamist Pak. Singer Nadia Hassan died mysteriously too. It is time women take charge in Pak. Elect Begum Nawazish Ali.

    They tried to kill Nawaz too, this is not about womens issues but much more.

  21. 67 · Topcat said

    Elect Begum Nawazish Ali.

    Are you kidding me? What political credentials does Begum Nawazish Ali have? The last thing a troubled state like Pakistan needs is a novice politician.

  22. While I am filled with a sense of unease about what lies in Pakistan’s future, I can’t help but think that Benazir herself was in part responsible for her own tragic end. All Pakistani leaders continued the policy of supporting Islamist militants to carry out a proxy war against India with covert support from the CIA. Keeping up the facade of conducting peace talks, they continued to train and arm fanatical elements in Pakistan for their own political gains. They lacked the foresight that given enough power these fanatical elements would aspire to rule the country itself.

    I hope Benazir’s assassination is a wake up call to leaders in Pakistan to discontinue support to these militants.

  23. This is a sad and one of the most important event of 2007 as far as India-Pakistan is concerned. This is definately a handywork of the Jihadis. Unfortunately the grip of Jihadis is becoming firmer on Pakistan. First the “Lal Masjid” and now this. I hope this barbaric act creates a backlash in average Pakistani against the Jihadis.

  24. Benazir Bhutto’s manipulation of and embrace by the West probably doomed her. She left Pakistan at only 16 to matriculate at Harvard. From there, on to Oxford. Her stunning physical beauty, coupled with her eloquence in the English language, made her a darling of the Western media and governing elite. Her first electoral victory carried so much hope, and defied convention as a woman took the helm of a Muslim country. It is tragic that the promise was squandered by corruption, cronyism, and heavy-handed governing tactics.

    Yet, for all her imperfections, Benazir was probably the best hope for semi-secular governance in Pakistan. She and Musharraf, though bitter personal foes, shared the goals of ensuring that Pakistan did not spiral into chaos at the hands of religious extremists and bridging firm ties with the West. In the wake of Bhutto’s assasination, it is not clear that Musharraf will survive much longer.

  25. I don’t think blaming the lack of coverage of BB’s death in Pakistani news on Pakistani media is necessarily fair. After all Musharaff has implemented some pretty harsh censorship of the media. And although I am saddened by the news Im not sure if this really effects democracy in Pakistan. With all of the media censorship I doubt that there would have been fair elections anyway. After all how can the people make an educated choice about the candidates if there is hardly any information about the candidates and their platform getting to them.

  26. This looks bad for Musharraf, he gains from her death since she is a political rival which makes him suspect. Even if he is not directly responsible that her assassination happened on his watch makes him look like a weak ruler and that he is no longer in charge.

    Volatile Pakistan is bad news for everybody.

  27. Gotta love those US of A, spreading “freedom” around the world.

    Using news of a woman’s assassination to vent your spleen is tacky and tact-less. Stay on topic and try to emulate the vast majority of commenters here who engage in thoughtful and civil discourse.

  28. Just heard a British analyst saying that you can’t rule out collusion between elements in the Pakistani security agencies and jihadis.

  29. This is a sad and one of the most important event of 2007 as far as India-Pakistan is concerned. This is definately a handywork of the Jihadis. Unfortunately the grip of Jihadis is becoming firmer on Pakistan. First the “Lal Masjid” and now this. I hope this barbaric act creates a backlash in average Pakistani against the Jihadis.

    While it may seem so (and one is inclined to feel that way) Bhutto over the years has made several enemies. Rouge elements of the ISI? Musharraf? Nawaz? Taliban/AQ/Jihadists? Former supporters who’re pissed off due to [insert the grievence here/monetary issues]. The list is long. She wasn’t going to save Pakistan anytime soon, however, she was competition and in a market where it was weak to begin with, and this doesn’t bode well for the country.

    Time will tell, I’m sure the odds on the jihadis being the culprits are the highest.

  30. Just heard a British analyst saying that you can’t rule out collusion between elements in the Pakistani security agencies and jihadis.

    How do you think Kargil war was funded or the diversion of US funds to anti-India operations. The nexus has always been there. Just a couple days back BB had voiced out that Pak Madarassas are nurturing killers and authorities are not doing anything, and today her words were proved right.

  32. Has Musharaff made a statement yet?

    I know Manmohan Singh (via intermediaries) and Hamid Karzai have. Even Bush has (kind of). What’s Musharaff saying? Has the Pakistani government said anything yet?

  34. Has anyone noticed that Benazir Bhutto looks larger than normal in her last news video? I think she was wearing some kind of bullet-proof body armor, like Jayalalitha does. But the bastards went for her head and neck. May Benazir Bhutto rest in peace.

  35. Why Bhutto would want this to happen is beyond me, although she must have known it was inevitable. The political parties are already carrying their strategies forward. Musharraf will be able to use this to prevent the election, of course. The evil ones will use it to foment violence. No good will come of it, that’s for certain. Did Bhutto have a plan, or did she return to Pakistan only to commit suicide?

    “‘Look how he abused me. How he beat me and threw me down and robbed me.'” He who indulges in such thoughts will never be free from hate. ‘Look how he abused me. How he beat me and threw me down and robbed me.’ He who frees his mind from such thoughts will forever live in peace.”

  36. Well, I guess that says it. But collusion/support from other elements is still a probability…

    Given that you pointed out that there are potentially many enemies responsible for her assassination, what is the rationale behind saying that AQ is the most probable? I’m not familiar with the context, so excuse any impertinence, but from your earlier comment it seemed like she had several enemies with more than adequate resources for the job. Is there something about AQ’s recent activities in Pakistan that make them the likeliest culprit?

  37. ak, I don’t blame her for anything, her assasination should be seen as an assault on the entire country. I feel bad for those who died, but almost worse is that it makes any thought of a decent, civil, and democratic Pakistani society seem so unattainable.

  38. Tariq Azim, former Pakistan minister mentions that the President is considering declaring Emergency in Pakistan. (Source: NDTV)

  39. Has Musharaff made a statement yet?

    He addressed the nation I think. He mentioned how the country’s biggest enemies are the extremists, etc etc and thus you could guess he is implying that the country needs the army now more than ever

  40. This is just further proof that Pakistan is not ready for democracy.

    I hope Musharraf cracks down hard on these assholes.

  41. Not sure about additional comments, but Musharaff has apparently declared three days of national mourning.

    I have problems with those dredging up Bhutto’s chequered record at this moment. History can ultimately now only paint her based on that past record. The tragedy of her death — her murder — is that it effectively also kills that particular thread of discourse. She’s dead. It’s over. As of today, regarding Bhutto’s future contributions to her country, it will only be questions and hypotheticals: could’ve, should’ve, would’ve, might have…

  42. I hope Musharraf cracks down hard on these assholes

    To distract attention away from his own incompetence or complicity?

    Sad to say, the bravest person in the country was killed today and it is now run by a bunch of cowards and enablers.

  43. it makes me wonder… after looking at the video, the security force, the land cruiser, and the increased protection with a shell..who infiltrated her security… would she have been safer sans ‘muslim’ bodyguards, and instead hired non-pakistani people to protect her and the entourage? (i.e. blackwater.. or other security teams?)..just a thought.

  44. this is bad news in a manner of speaking but this is the same lady who kickstarted the kashmir insurgency and her confidante nasirullah khan babur created the taliban

    (s)he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.

    no tears here.

  45. it makes me wonder… after looking at the video, the security force, the land cruiser, and the increased protection with a shell..who infiltrated her security… would she have been safer sans ‘muslim’ bodyguards, and instead hired non-pakistani people to protect her and the entourage? (i.e. blackwater.. or other security teams?)..just a thought.

    Probably. But, the truth may never come out considering the reputation of Pak and its lack of free press/media

  46. Oh no, I woke up to this ghastly news. I pray there is stability in that region and people of her country rise against extremism. Naive thought: Maybe she was killed for being a woman who was yielding too much power in a conservative country ? I hope moderate voices rise all over the world. Peace.

  47. I have problems with those dredging up Bhutto’s chequered record at this moment. History can ultimately now only paint her based on that past record. The tragedy of her death — her murder — is that it effectively also kills that particular thread of discourse. She’s dead. It’s over. As of today, regarding Bhutto’s future contributions to her country, it will only be questions and hypotheticals: could’ve, should’ve, would’ve, might have…

    Well said, Kusala.

  48. From WSJ

    Recently cheery holiday trading came to an end on Thursday, as stocks were knocked down by weak economic readings, predictions of more write-downs at financial firms and unsettling news of the death of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Major indexes opened lower, and selling intensified through the morning on various pieces of bad news. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which had been up four straight days, recently fell 120.79 to 13430.90. The S&P 500 lost 11.47 to 1486.19, and the Nasdaq Composite Index declined 24.21 to 2700.20.

    Qui Bono?

  49. would she have been safer sans ‘muslim’ bodyguards, and instead hired non-pakistani people to protect her and the entourage?

    Good idea for Bhutto the private person, not the best idea for Bhutto the politician: Umm… I don’t really trust any one from your country to protect me, but can I please be your Prime Minister?

  50. What will an imploding Pakistan mean for the rest of the world?

    Are we going to see an Indian intervention force come in or the are the places where nukes are being held going to be turned into glass parking lots?