Less than two weeks before Pakistan was to hold important elections, Benazir Bhutto, a two-time prime minister and the first woman elected to lead a Muslim state, was assassinated Thursday at a political rally while making another run for prime minister.
 

Why is this such a big international story?
Bhutto's death adds to Pakistan's general political unrest and the uncertainty about its future, and erases much work by the United States to help see her into power.

What's causing the unrest in Pakistan?
Much of the recent turbulence stems from President Pervez Musharraf's decision in November to institute military rule and suspend the constitution, a move that spurred violent street protests.

Musharraf, who gained power in a coup in 1999, later lifted the rule, called for elections, and stepped down from the military to simply be a civilian president.

Musharraf is also feeling pressure from the United States. As we explained in the Nov. 9 WeeklyDIVA, the United States made a deal-with-the-devil of sorts with Pakistan just after 9/11, providing financial aid—more than $10 billion so far—and support for Musharraf.

In exchange, Pakistan agreed to help fight Islamic militants like al Qaeda, who are hiding out in the areas bordering neighboring Afghanistan. But it hasn't gone quite as planned: The militants living in Pakistan are as active as ever, and reformists want Musharraf to loosen his iron grip on power.

How Bhutto fit into the picture
As leader of the largest opposition party in Pakistan, Bhutto was seen as a possible balance to Musharraf's power.

Although twice elected prime minister of Pakistan, the Harvard and Oxford-educated Bhutto was twice removed from that post on alleged corruption charges.
In 1998, she and her family fled for Dubai to avoid the charges, but she returned in October at age 54 to hopefully restore democracy. Bhutto's father also served as prime minister and was executed in 1979.

The big picture
While world leaders are reacting to Bhutto's death, it is unclear if Pakistan will hold the scheduled elections on January 8. It's also unclear what strategy the United States will take with Pakistan, particularly as it comes under scrutiny as a promoter of democracy for supporting a country with a leader that was never elected. And of course Pakistan's control of its nuclear weapons remains an important concern.

 

All that does seem certain is that the world has lost one of its foremost female political leaders.