Benazir Bhutto 1953 - 2007

By Danielle Aissis

After the failed attempt in October to assassinate Pakistan's opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto was killed Thursday, December 26. Following a political rally led by her and her party. When finished, Bhutto proceeded to her car and stood through the sunroof while the driver drove through the crowd of supporters when gun shots were fired, followed by a suicide bombers explosion that killed her and another 23 civilians.

Immediately after, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf announced he condemned this murder and asked the Pakistani people to remain calm. Riots broke out, shops were destroyed and fires were set. This destruction included where the voting was going to be held on the January 8 election, but the ballot papers, voting lists, and election screens were all ruined from the flames. That was also the excuse for the government to postpone the elections until February 18, despite Bhutto's party and family members urging for the elections to remain on the day they were set.

Many fingers have been pointed at the government for the assassination and suspicion has been raised multiple times.

The original forensic reports never mentioned any gun shot wounds, the government released that the cause of death was by the explosion’s force thrusting her head on the sunroof’s latch. Videos of the incident were released after that and clearly showed gunshots fired at her. This supported the original Doctor’s forensic report that stated shrapnel wounds caused her death.

Also, only hours after Bhutto's assassination, she was scheduled to meet with two U.S. Senators, Arlen Specter and Patrick J. Kennedy to discuss what she believed to have been the government and Musharraf planning to rig the upcoming elections.

She also e-mailed a friend on October 26, 2007 ensuring that if anything were to happen to her, hold Musharraf responsible as a main suspect.

Many speculated her being a female running for a political office could have triggered this assassination, but she was campaigning for her third term as prime minister. It’s a tragedy she was killed, she believed in a democratic government and policies in Pakistan and gained support from the American government, and sadly, that was most likely her downfall.