One can understand why religious extremists like al-Qaeda and Taliban would target her, and the government claims that it is impossible to defend against a suicide attack. But Benazir Bhutto was reportedly killed by a sharp shooter before the terrorist blew himself up. So, in the eyes of Pakistan's people, and especially of Benazir Bhutto's supporters, the intelligence services, either alone or in collaboration with extremists, finally decided to eliminate her.
Whether or not the government was involved, the fact remains that Pakistan has lost a desperately needed leader. With Pakistan's future in the balance, the West's help and support will be crucial, but that means recognizing that Musharraf is not the only leader who can resolve Pakistan's myriad problems and manage the war on terror. On the contrary, by nurturing the current environment of instability and uncertainty, Musharraf himself must be regarded as one of Pakistan's biggest problems.
Hassan Abbas, who served in the administrations of both Benazir Bhutto and Musharraf, is now a research fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Copyright: Project Syndicate
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