Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan in October for a political comeback and pledged to crack down on the extremists and restore democracy in the country, which has been under military rule for eight years. Many commentators agree this pledge was the reason for her becoming a target of extremists. Dwelling on the reasons that might have prompted the perpetrators in the Bhutto assassination, Milliyet’s Sami Kohen claims that fundamentalists disturbed by the recent positive developments in the country are behind this attack. He cites these developments as Musharraf leaving his military post, lifting the emergency rule he imposed in early November, allowing exiled opposition leaders like Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to return to the country and announcing general elections for Jan. 8. “The reason is simple; Mrs. Bhutto was against extremists and terrorists. She was defending secularism, democracy and modernism. Undoubtedly, getting rid of such a figure with such an attack is a success for the perpetrators of the attack. Yet it is a big blow to Pakistan’s future, not only as a state but as a nation,” he notes. Speculating about what could happen in Pakistan after Bhutto’s assassination, he says it is likely the elections won’t be held, noting that they could either be postponed or cancelled. Kohen also states that Musharraf may impose emergency rule again, particularly if the country becomes embroiled in more internal conflict. He recalls that Musharraf was actually not fully in favor of lifting recent emergency rule and holding the elections. In his view, Bhutto’s killing is not only bad for Pakistan in potentially derailing it from the path to democracy and plunging it into chaos but also for the US, which confers a major role on Pakistan in its regional policy. “Actually, what matters at the moment is not how democratic Pakistan will be but how peaceful and stable it will be,” he acknowledges.
Vatan’s Ruşen Çakır talks about the possible scenarios in Pakistan following Bhutto’s assassination, warning that it may trigger a deepening conflict among certain groups in the country. Considering the fact that Bhutto was a “symbol of democracy” in the country, he argues that her assassination might ignite a secular-Islamist conflict, pointing out the strong secular segment of the society, although Pakistan is known to be an Islamic republic. The conflict between the Shiites and Sunnis may also deepen with Bhutto’s slaying, according to Çakır, who says that although she did not draw attention to it, she was a Shiite. And he also warns about more military-civilian conflict with Bhutto’s assassination since Musharraf, who left his military post under intense pressure, and a strong Pakistani army may attempt to obstruct the country’s transformation into a democratic state, contrary to their pledges.
Radikal’s İsmet Berkan contends that the extremists targeted Bhutto because she was very likely to become the prime minister in the next elections, as the public was giving more credence to the secular politics represented by her, which made Bhutto a bigger threat for extremists than Musharraf. In addition to this, he points to Pakistan’s secret service as the possible perpetrators of this attack. “In Bhutto’s assassination, the secret service of Pakistan may have played a role as well as the extremists. Nobody can rule out such possibilities at the moment,” he remarks.
