Bomb blast takes the life of Pakistan's former prime minister and at least a dozen others
Benazir Bhutto was killed at a political rally near Islamabad just hours ago. The New York Times reports that following shots from a gunman, a bomb likely triggered by a suicide attacker went off, killing a dozen or more people along with Pakistan's opposition leader. (Other reports say the gunman and the bomber may have been the same person.) Bhutto, 54, was declared dead at 6:16 p.m. at a hospital in Rawalpindi.
Christians in Pakistan were quick to condemn the killing. The president of Pakistan's Christian Congress, Nazir S. Bhatti, called it a "black day" in the country's history. Christians are a distinct minority in Pakistan, and many have placed hopes for greater democratic freedom and participation on Bhutto's shoulders.
Bhutto's death leaves her political party leaderless less than two weeks before scheduled parliamentary elections. While Bhutto supporters have blamed Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, for the attack, an aide to Musharraf blamed Islamic militants.
The New York Times has posted an obituary for Bhutto as well as an op-ed piece she wrote last month denouncing Musharraf's rule. "It is dangerous to stand up to a military dictatorship, but more dangerous not to," reads the last paragraph of her editorial. Bhutto had been critical of the lack of government security provided to her in recent weeks.
Posted by Madison Trammel on December 27, 2007 9:44AM
Comments
I am SICK that Christian people are ACTUALLY out there, and REJOICING about this womans death.. that would ake us just like Al Queda.
Posted by: Paulette at December 28, 2007
The Bush government's support for non-democratic regimes such as that of Musharraf and its support for the Israeli government's ruthless ethnic-cleansing of the Palestinian people are understandably major causes of anger in the Islamic world, and the instability which has resulted will not dissipate until these unwise and unjust policies are revoked. Christians who support these terrible policies need to know that our God is a God of justice, and policies leading to so much death and destruction will not go unpunished.
Posted by: David Hobson at December 28, 2007
I have been praying for Musharraf and for Pakistan for several years. It is hard to judge from where we are. We don't know who among leaders might be secret followers, and sometimes things are done in the name of Christianity, too, that are atrocities. But we know we can pray for leaders and for justice, and God can work through our prayers.
Posted by: Jean Knox at December 31, 2007
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