Former Prime Minister and leader of the most popular Pakistani political party, Pakistan Peoples Party, Benazir Bhutto has been killed in a suicide bombing in Rawalpindi a couple of hours ago.
Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in a suicide attack.
Ms Bhutto had just addressed an election rally in Rawalpindi when she was shot in the neck by a gunman who then reportedly set off a bomb.
At least 15 other people died in the attack and several more were injured.
[..] It was the second suicide attack against Benazir Bhutto in recent months and comes amid a wave of bombings targeting security and government officials.
[…] The explosion occurred close to an entrance gate of the park in Rawalpindi where Ms Bhutto had been speaking.
Wasif Ali Khan, a member of the PPP who was at Rawalpindi General Hospital, said she died at 1816 (1316 GMT).
Supporters at the hospital began chanting “Dog, Musharraf, dog”, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
Some supporters wept while others exploded in anger, throwing stones at cars and breaking windows.
Police confirmed reports Ms Bhutto had been shot in the neck and chest before the gunman blew himself up.
There are reports of riots, car and buildings being burned all over Pakistani cities, according to Aaj TV and Geo TV.
This is definitely the worst news in probably the worst year in Pakistani history.
Why are Pakistani people rioting against their government about Bhutto’s killing when Al Queda has already claimed responsibiltiy? Why aren’t Pakistani people rising up against Al Queda for her murder? It is very puzzling and frustrating for people in the U.S. to see this. If one of our high ranking politicians were murdered and the murderer bragged about it, every citizen would be courageous and track down and punish the criminals. Are Pakistani people just afraid of rising up against Al Queda?
Steve: No, Pakistanis are not afraid of “rising up” against Al Qaeda. The rioting there, just like in the US or France, is basically a matter of frustration and distrust of the system. Plus there is always the criminal element too.
A force for democracy fell at the hands of one or more assassins, dimming hopes for happier and more peaceful times in Pakistan and, indeed, the world. The Bhutto family and people of Pakistan have my sympathy. One can only hope that the bloody tide reached its high point last week.
Here are some excerpts from an article written by B. Raman of the Indian Intelligence, dated 16-11-98:
Benazir’s success in improving Pakistan’s relations with the US could be attributed to the following factors:
1. Her favourable image in the US as a US-educated, sophisticated individual and as a modern, forward-looking Muslim leader.
2. Her excellent contacts in the US Administration, bureaucracy and Congressional circles as a result of the network of personal friends which she had carefully built up since her days as a student in the US.
3. Her willingness to co-operate with the US in the implementation of its policy of dual containment of Iran and Iraq and in sponsoring and assisting the Taliban in gaining control of Afghanistan and in frustrating Iranian objectives.
4. Her agreement to let the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) of the US to strengthen their set-up in Pakistan in order to better monitor developments in Iran.
…
7. Her backing to UNOCAL, the US oil company, in getting the support of the Turkmenistan Government and the Taliban authorities for its oil and gas pipelines proposals to bring oil/gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan through Afghan territory.
This guy was in the Indian Intelligence, RAW, so he knows what he’s saying. This has been further corroborated by other analysts.
Source: http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers%5Cpaper12.html
It is sad that a human being died the way she did. However, she was no great democrat, no tall “secular” leader.
She was bad for Pakistan’s people, bad for India, bad for Afghanistan and certainly bad for Iran, Iraq. All in all, she would have done America’s bidding, and she was no friend of Muslims. In fact, she would have been America’s lapdog in furthering their objectives.
If there was any rule of law in Pakistan, she should have been impeached and tried and convicted multiple times of being an enemy of Pakistan and her people. She should have been given multiple death sentences and publicly discredited. Every word she uttered for the past one year was to please her American Masters so that they would support her to become PM. It is worthy of note that America was openly backing her, but not Sharif at all (since he isn’t using the kind of language against Islam that she was prepared to do to please Americans).
But I hope any Muslim who sells out their people they way she did, who, at a foreign nation’s behest, lets another country’s services use their resources to launch overt war on fellow Muslim nations, who doesn’t one iota about their own people – faces a worse fate than her. But not this way. They should be publicly tried in the courts and be given their due punishment.
Although her end was bad, she is now being eulogized and praised as a great leader!!!! And America is so sad!!!
We all know how Americans today feel about Islam and Muslims. America was supporting her. That itself is a cause for any Muslim in the world to suspect this lady.
May God forgive her.
Faraz: I know that Benazir Bhutto had many, many faults but she was the most popular political leader in Pakistan.
I recommend that everyone read Chapati Mystery’s post. Do click the links and read the different articles too.
I have reasons to believe tha attack on Benazir Bhutto was neither suicide bomber’s nor planned by Al-Qaeda or Taliban. The reason for killing her was not her being near American administration but joining hands with Nawaz Sharif for bringing in democracy and finishing the role of army for ever.