Rising violence tests Musharraf
Pakistan's president may strengthen his grip by exploiting recent attacks in Islamabad and the tribal areas, but the opposition wants elections.
from the July 19, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
"At the root of our problem is serious institutional decay," says Aimal Khan, a political analyst at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in Islamabad.
"People usually think of anarchy spreading from the bottom to the top. In our country anarchy is racing top to bottom," he says.
'Your enemy's enemy'
Until Tuesday, the chief justice's immense following, which numbers in the thousands, had traveled the length of the country in the past month without violent incident.
In the hours before the bombing, the rally hardly seemed the arena for bloody conflict. Before the rally, pro-democracy anthems blared from the public sound system. Hundreds of supporters swayed and balloons added a festive atmosphere, despite the metal detectors placed at the entrance of the outdoor compound where the chief justice was scheduled to speak.
The suicide bomber attacked as the bulk of the chief justice's supporters were still several miles away, inching their way to the rally.
To avoid the perception of interfering with an opposition rally, the government decided not to seal off the area after the bombing and allowed the chief justice to arrive at the venue and continue with the rally amid a full-blown crime scene.
Many analysts say they suspect that Islamist militants from the tribal regions would not have attacked an anti-Musharraf rally.
"You don't attack your enemy's enemy," says Mr. Khan.
The suicide bomber attacked an area close to a display for the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) – a placement that led many in the Pakistani media to surmise that the PPP was the attack's true target.
The PPP, which is led by exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is the only mainstream Pakistani political party to have sided with Musharraf throughout the Red Mosque crisis.
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