Bhutto's Assassination Risks Security, Democracy
Pakistan's path to democracy could go off course as a result of Bhutto's death.
Dec. 27. 2007 — -- The assassination of Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto is likely to call into question the future of democracy in Pakistan as well as the country's role in fighting terrorism in the region, several international policy experts told ABC News.
Bhutto was shot Thursday in the neck and the chest by a suicide bomber who later blew himself up, killing at least another 20 people, as she left a rally for her Pakistan People's Party. She had just finished addressing thousands in advance of the country's Jan. 8 parliamentary elections.
Current Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has yet to decide whether the elections will be postponed.
"The fact that the election could be delayed and a major candidate has been killed makes it very difficult to go ahead with establishing the impression that Pakistan has at last returned to a democratic process," said Joe Elder, professor of sociology and a specialist on Pakistan at the University of Wisconsin. "This is a very serious blow to the democratic process in Pakistan."
The upcoming election had been a hopeful sign to the rest of the world that democracy would finally be restored to Pakistan.
"For the last six or seven years there's been very little evidence of a democratic process in Pakistan," said Elder. "It looked like there was finally going to be an election that was going to amount to something."
With Pakistan as the U.S.'s closest ally in fighting terrorism in the region, Bhutto's assassination will likely complicate the relationship between the two countries.
"The U.S. alliance with Pakistan had been difficult for many years, and it hasn't helped that we're asking Pakistan to play a major role on the Afghan border, especially with Pakistan not appearing very democratic," said Elder. "The delay of the democratic process makes it difficult for the U.S. to know how much support to give Musharraf or the Pakistani government until things settle down."
Bhutto was known for being extremely well-educated and articulate. She routinely spoke out against terrorism, and she believed Pakistan should work toward eliminating it in the future.
In the hours after her death, it was unclear whether her assassination may hinder Pakistan's future anti-terrorism efforts.
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