BBC World News is brought to you by WLIW New York. Funding for this presentation has been
provided by the Freeman Foundation of New York, Stowe Vermont and Honolulu, the Newman's
Own Foundation and the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation.
Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated, shot by an attacker
who then blew himself up. She was killed as she left this political rally of thousands
of supporters in the city of Ralpindi. These pictures were taken just minutes before she
was attacked. Deaths are being reported in rioting in several cities. There's been worldwide
condemnation of her killing two weeks before planned elections from allies and political
rivals alike.
It is not a sad day to hug. It's a Colombian state in the history of this country.
Benazir Bhutto's body is now being flown to southern Pakistan for burial. President
Musharraf blamed terrorists and declared three days of mourning.
Enraged supporters of the assassinated Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto have burned
vehicles and attacked shops in parts of the country. The former Prime Minister was assassinated
while campaigning for January's election in the city of Ralpindi. She was fatally shot
in the neck by a gunman who then detonated a bomb which killed at least 20 people. President
Musharraf blamed terrorists, announced three days of mourning and appealed to the nation
to remain peaceful.
But after the intense anger expressed during six weeks of emergency rule recently, there
is new uncertainty about January's election and fears of widespread violence and unrest.
The BBC's Barbara Plett is in Islamabad.
In just a simple wooden coffin leaving the hospital where she died, the body of Benazir
Bhutto was born by mourners. They reached out to touch it, pushing, jostling for final
contact with their leader. Just that morning she'd been carrying their hopes for an election
victory on the campaign trail in Ralpindi, promising voters that she'd bring Pakistan
out of crisis. After years in self-imposed exile, Ms Bhutto was determined to make a
political comeback. As she left the rally, she continued to greet party workers before
getting into the car. But in what turned out to be her last moments, she couldn't resist
standing up through the sunroof to again wave to supporters. It was a fatal decision, police
said a gunman seized this opportunity to shoot her and then blew himself up. The explosion
threw party workers into panic and confusion. Overcome with shock and horror, they struggled
to take in what had happened, eventually giving in to both grief and anger. Rescue services
worked feverishly to save the injured and to move the dying. But emergency surgery could
not save Benazir Bhutto. It was devastating news for her people. The party revolved around
her. Sobering news also for her political opponents. The other main opposition leader
came quickly to pay his respects. He now says his party will boycott elections, which he
claims will be rigged. President Musharraf too condemned the attack. In an address to
the nation, he appealed for calm. But on the streets there was violence. Several people
were killed by gunfire. Furious protesters set fire to banners, vehicles, even buildings.
People of Pakistan are very sad. People party chairperson has sacrificed his own life for
the people of Pakistan, for the democracy of Pakistan. The situation is volatile. Extra
troops have been deployed. As Pakistanis wait to see what this means for elections and for
their country. The next day or two will probably be critical as to how things develop. The
president as well as party leaders have appealed for calm. They've also called for a period
of mourning, in part to help diffuse tensions. But the assassination has thrown the political
scene here into chaos. And it's made Pakistanis more uncertain and afraid for the future.
Barbara Platt, BBC News, Islamabad. There's been strong condemnation of the attack from
the United States. In Washington, the BBC's Jonathan Beale reports. President Bush had
left Washington for Texas for his family Christmas retreat. He would have hoped that his ranch
in Crawford would provide a respite from his political turmoils. But this is where he was
brought the news of Benazir Bhutto's assassination, another setback in his war on terror. The
United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying
to undermine Pakistan's democracy. Those who committed this crime must be brought to
justice. We stand with the people of Pakistan in their struggle against the forces of terror
and extremism. We urge them to honor Benazir Bhutto's memory by continuing with the
democratic process for which she so bravely gave her life. Thank you, Mr President. In
public, President Bush has always maintained his close ties with President Musharraf, seen
as the key ally in fighting extremism. But behind the scenes, America had also been laying
the ground for Benazir Bhutto's return. The hope in Washington was that they could work
together. Now suddenly, those moderate pro-American forces appear more fragile. It's a great tragedy
because she stood for moderation, for rule of law, for democracy in our country, and
our death is a loss for the cause of moderation, democracy and rule of law for Pakistan. That
path to democracy had already been disrupted by President Musharraf's earlier declaration
of a state of emergency. Last month, America sent its second most senior diplomat to Islamabad
to call for a return to the rule of law and to urge reconciliation between President Musharraf
and Benazir Bhutto. The U.S. still hoping they could resolve their differences. Now,
with her assassination, it's Pakistan that's having to reassure an anxious ally. I would
like to assure the American public that Pakistan has gone through many crashes before. It's
gone through wars, it's gone through assassination attempts, it's gone through natural calamities,
and our people are resilient, tough, and I think, God willing, we will come out of these
crashes too with flying colors. This will only improve the Pakistani resolve to fight
extremism and terrorism. And that's just as important. In Pakistan's mountainous
northwest region, there's been a resurgence of pro-Taliban forces. The fear for America
is that the assassination of Benazir Bhutto may not just disrupt the democratic process,
but also prove a setback to the war on terror. Jonathan Beale, BBC News, Washington.
Well, let's reflect on the signals. I'm joined by Shahid Sadullah, editor of the English
section of Pakistan's Daily Jain newspaper. Shahid, welcome to BBC World. Twelve days
before the election, what's the impact on the multi-party political fabric, which did
seem to be moving at least in a positive direction?
Yes, I think most people would say that this probably means that the elections are going
to be postponed if not canceled. I think the sad part of it is that the elections somehow
do not seem to be relevant anymore, because the elections are not an end in themselves.
There are means to an end. And the end must be greater political census and greater stability.
Now with Mr. Nawaz Sharif already having ruled himself out of the elections, the PPP must
be in a state of disarray following this. And I don't know if they're in any state to
be taking part in the elections. Therefore, you would have an election in which the PMLQ,
which is so-called the King's party, would have an open run. As it is, even with all
of them participating, there was a severe question mark over the credibility of the
elections. Now they will have very little credibility at all, and therefore it will
not be a solution to Pakistan's political problems.
What is Pakistan's People's Party, the PPP, without Benazir Bhutto?
Well, I think, you know, the party in Pakistan, you have these dynastic parties. Very many
people would tell you that Pakistani political parties are really cult organizations based
around the cult figure. That applies to the PPP, it applies to Nawaz Sharif's party, it
applies to Imran Khan's party. And with her taken out of the equation now, I think there
would be sort of headless in a way, and it will not be very easy for the party to come
up with a leadership with the same sort of international recognition, charisma and appeal
as Benazir Bhutto.
We saw there John Negroponte, the US Deputy Secretary of State, who went and twisted arms,
made sure that emergency rule was lifted, made sure that then General Musharraf did move
the process forward towards the 8th of January. What is left of this political fabric, which
did at least seem to have some kind of form, until Benazir Bhutto was murdered?
Well, I think Benazir Bhutto had announced herself as being the one Pakistani politician
who was unequivocally against religious extremism, and who had declared that she was really,
in terms of Pakistani politics, she was a liberal. The liberal and non-liberal definitions
of Pakistani politics are based around the war on terror, and she was the one true liberal.
And that is now out of the equation.
Where does this leave the Americans, though? That's what I'm getting at, in terms of their
pressure on President Musharraf.
Well, I hope out of the situation in Pakistan, because, you know, the American backing for
any Pakistani politician is the kiss of death. And the perceived backing that Ms Bhutto had
from the Americans was, I feel, in no small measure responsible for her assassination.
Shahid Saddolo of the Daily Jank, thanks for joining us here on BBC World.
Stay with us here on the channel for this special coverage after the murder of Benazir Bhutto.
Still to come, more reaction. Plus, with Benazir Bhutto's body being flown to her family tomb
for burial, we reflect on what lies ahead for Pakistan.
The lawyer Baba Awan was with Benazir Bhutto when she was attacked. He described what happened.
I was in the front car, and she opted to sit in the great Jeep, but we were going bumper
to bumper.
When we came about a minute's drive, or less than that, maybe, seconds, not more than 60
seconds from the place where we boarded the vehicle, and the firing started, and then
there was a very huge bomb blast. Incidentally, I was with her on the 18th of October on the
truck, which was hit by two blasts. So it was horrific for me, and my ears are affected,
and I'm also hit from the left side. And then she was rushed to the hospital, and the hospital
people tried to conceal the news. Then I spoke to the gentleman who conducted the surgery,
little surgery, tried to conduct. He's principal of a local medical college, and he's socially
known to me. And I asked him, why don't you tell us this trade? Then he told me, first
he said pray for her, and when I insisted, he disclosed that it is all over.
Here with BBC World, Ms. Bhutto was a charismatic and controversial figure, part of a political
dynasty in Pakistan, to many an icon, to others tainted by corruption. Here's the BBC's special
correspondent Gavin Hewitt.
In Pakistan's troubled history, Benazir Bhutto belonged to the country's best-known political
family. She had only gone back to Pakistan in October. For some, she offered the hope
of a return to democracy. She had been warned of the risks, and within hours, there was
an attack on her motorcade. She survived, but more than 140 people were killed. Before
returning to Pakistan, she had spoken out strongly against Islamic extremism. In the
fight against terrorism, she was regarded as an ally of the West, and today, there were
many tributes to her.
Benazir Bhutto was a woman of immense personal courage and bravery. Knowing as she did the
threats to her life, the previous attempt to assassination, she risked everything in
her attempt to win democracy in Pakistan, and she has been assassinated by cowards afraid
of democracy. Benazir Bhutto may have been killed by terrorists, but the terrorists must
not be allowed to kill democracy in Pakistan.
The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying
to undermine Pakistan's democracy. Those who committed this crime must be brought to justice.
Twice, Benazir Bhutto was elected Pakistan's Prime Minister. She had been the first democratically
elected woman Prime Minister of a Muslim country, but her influence went deeper than that. She
was a member of a famous political dynasty. She was educated at Harvard and Oxford, where
she was President of the Union. Her father, Zulfiqa Ali Bhutto, had been a populist Prime
Minister in the 70s. He was deposed in a military coup and was executed two years later.
Benazir Bhutto was initially reluctant to go into politics, but she was determined to
oppose the military leader who had overthrown her father.
I suppose the one fact was the imprisonment of my father, which galvanized me and thousands
of other Pakistanis into the political life.
One of her brothers, Murtaza, was shot, another poisoned. Hers has been a political family
steeped in tragedy. In time, Benazir Bhutto fought and won an election. She portrayed
herself as a modernizer, secular, pro-Western. She served a second term as Prime Minister,
but was sacked for alleged corruption. Her husband, Aziz Zardari, was also accused of
fraud. They both denied all charges. She went into exile, only returning two months ago.
When her convoy was attacked, there were questions about why the intelligence services hadn't
protected her better.
They are able to conduct their attacks because of some level of collusion. I'm not saying
that the government hatched a plot, but I am saying that elements with deny administration
and security apparatuses are people who want me out of the way.
There will be suspicions again as to how and why a suicide bomber was able to get so close
to her. Her family said today she gave her life for democracy.
She risked her entire life for the nation. She's paid the price of being a westernized
politician and looking for democracy in Pakistan.
When she returned home, she knew she might be assassinated. But her death leaves Pakistan
in turmoil, anger on the streets, elections and democracy uncertain, and this in a country
vital to the struggle against terrorism.
Gavin Hewitt, BBC News.
Stay with us. We'll have more on the murder of Benazir Bhutto here on BBC World with more
analysis on what the future may now hold for Pakistan.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon gave his reaction to the murder of Benazir Bhutto.
I'm shocked and outraged by the assassination of former Prime Minister Mrs. Benazir Bhutto
and many other civilians, people who have been killed by this terrorist suicide bombings.
I call upon the government authorities to bring perpetrators to the justice and I condemn
in the strongest possible terms this assassination of Mrs. Benazir Bhutto.
In their regard, I welcome the Security Council presidential statement condemning it in the
strongest possible terms. I think this is a very appropriate measure by the Security
Council and I'm grateful to the President and members of the Security Council.
President Bush described Mrs. Bhutto's murder as a cowardly act and an attempt to undermine
Pakistan's democracy.
The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying
to undermine Pakistan's democracy. Those who committed this crime must be brought to justice.
Mrs. Bhutto served her nation twice as Prime Minister and she knew that her return to Pakistan
earlier this year put her life at risk. Yet she refused to allow assassins to dictate
the course of her country. We stand with the people of Pakistan in their struggle against
the forces of terror and extremism. We urge them to honor Benazir Bhutto's memory by
continuing with the democratic process.
You're with BBC World. I'm Nick Gowing. President Musharraf has appeared on Pakistani television
to blame unnamed terrorists for the murder of Benazir Bhutto. He declared three days
of national mourning and appealed for nationwide calm.
Paying tribute to respected Benazir Bhutto on this tragic incident, I declare a state
of mourning for three days. The national flag will fly half past. This atrocity has been
committed by those terrorists who we have been fighting against. I always say that Pakistan
and its people face the biggest threat from these terrorists. I, on this tragedy, take
a pledge and at the same time urge the whole nation to eliminate and root out these terrorists.
Until then, we will not rest in peace because this is the only way for Pakistan to survive
and live. On this occasion, I appeal to the nation to remain peaceful and show restraint.
President Musharraf, news agencies are reporting that Benazir Bhutto's body has now arrived
in Sukkur in the south of the country before her funeral. There's been widespread condemnation
across the world to the murder of Ms Bhutto. Here's the BBC's Jim Fish with more on the
international response.
Pakistan's neighbour and rival India was among the first to react with this statement from
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, read out by his spokesman.
Mrs Bhutto was no ordinary political leader, but one who left a deep imprint on her time
and age. Her contributions to a previous moment of hope in India-Pakistan relations and her
intent to break India-Pakistan relations out of the sterile patterns of the past were exemplary.
The Afghan President Hamid Karzai had met Ms Bhutto only hours before her death.
I met with her this morning. I found her to be a very, very brave woman with a clear vision
for her own country, for Afghanistan and for the region. A vision of democracy and prosperity
and peace.
From the capitals of Europe, reaction to the news was a mixture of horror and trepidation
for the future of Pakistan. The President of the European Union Commission, Jose Manuel
Barroso, described it as a callous terrorist attack against democracy and against Pakistan.
We hope, he said, that Pakistan will remain firmly on track for a return to democratic
rule.
Absolute dismay. They were going towards elections. For me, she was a hope of stability for Pakistan.
We are waiting for information we still don't have to understand what will be the next steps
that the country can take.
The fear of Pakistan's neighbours and the rest of the world is that the protest fires
on the streets of Royal Pindi and other cities may be just the foretaste of worst consequences
to follow. Jim Fish, BBC News.
There's now great uncertainty as to whether Pakistan's parliamentary election scheduled
for the 8th of January can go ahead and fears for the future of a nation seen by the West
as a key front line in the struggle against global terrorism and extremism.
Here's the BBC security correspondent, Frank Gardner.
Just hours before her death, this was Benazir Bhutto meeting Afghanistan's President Hamid
Karzai. He had hoped she would be a stabilising influence in the region.
Thank you so much. See you soon.
But it was not to be. The implications of her murder are a setback for neighbouring Afghanistan.
NATO and over 7,000 British troops are deployed there, pushing back the Taliban and propping
up Karzai's vulnerable government. But there can be no end to the Afghan insurgency without
Pakistan's help. In the largely lawless region that straddles the poorest common border,
the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other insurgents move across men, weapons and explosives.
Pakistan's military has failed to control this region, but Bhutto had told America that
if she regained power, she would allow US troops to pursue militants across the border
into Pakistan. This can only have redoubled her enemy's determination to kill her.
This was Benazir Bhutto speaking three months ago.
I'm a threat to the extremists. I'm not a threat to the moderates. So while there may be
people who oppose my return, I know that there are many more millions of Pakistanis that are
just waiting for me to come back to see the forces of moderation and freedom strengthened
in my country.
Al-Qaeda had every reason to want Ms Bhutto dead. Al-Qaeda's leaders like Dr Ayman Azawahiri
have set up new bases in Pakistan's tribal areas.
Mohammed Sadiq Khan, the ringleader of the London bombers, almost certainly recorded
this video at a secret training camp on his final visit to Pakistan. Whoever sent him
to kill Londoners would have a vested interest in keeping Pakistan unstable and the military
away from their camps.
Al-Qaeda has set up base inside Pakistan. It's been able to plot and plan a number of
major mass casualty attacks around the world, particularly in the UK, in Pakistan.
But they wouldn't necessarily be behind an attack like this.
Coming up in the next half hour, a special edition of Asia Today that's presented by
Peter Dobby with more on the implications after the murder of Benazir Bhutto in Raalpindi.
First, let's get the weather here on BBC World.
The best masterpiece theater.
Jane!
Do you think that I have no heart?
I love you.
Jane Eyre.
Sunday evening at nine.