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[R]2:00PM New York – Pakistan election may be put on hold after Bhutto killing.[/R]

The leading candidate in the upcoming election and former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed by a suicide attacker in Rawalpindi. The talks of re-imposition of martial rule in Pakistan intensified after the barbaric killing.

Pakistan entered into another chaotic period with the killing of the only viable challenger in the next election scheduled on January 8th. Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister, and a leading contender in the next election, was killed by a suicide attacker. The brutal attack was carried out in Rawalpindi after Bhutto had finished addressing a campaign rally.

Benazir Bhutto, 54 years old was rushed to hospital but died from multiple injuries from gun attacks in head and neck and a bomb blast. At least 20 other people have been killed.

The tragic killing is expected to lash out a wave of anti-government sentiment for not protecting the leader of Pakistan’s Peoples Party. Supporters of PPP have rioted in several cities and Karachi and Sindh Province remains in critical condition.

There is a widespread perception in Pakistan that the President Musharraf is acting in the interest of America and not in the interest of the people of Pakistan. Musharraf has talked about democracy for seven long years but has preferred to use army rule.

For Musharraf’s loyalty to America, George W. Bush has named Pakistan and Musharraf as American ally in its fight against terrorists. But that relationship appears one-sided to many people in Pakistan. For example, Pakistani people have nearly impossible chance of travel visa to the U.S.

Musharraf, only recently and reluctantly relinquished his military leadership role, is viewed by many in the South Asia region as puppet of the U.S. interests and has generally been ineffective in quelling terrorism on the borders with Afghanistan and India.

Musharraf, promised democracy eight years ago after he seized power in a bloodless coup, has acted with dictatorial powers in Pakistan. He agreed to an election in January only after consistent and growing international pressure. Musharraf has tried to cling to power in a chaotic nation using military force, limiting freedom of speech, and imprisoning most of his opponents.

Musharraf’s rein in Pakistan has seen economic growth in the last five years but fruits of this economic growth are limited to the rich and those allied to the military.

The American aid of $10 billion approved the by the U.S. Congress as a spending for democracy was mostly allocated to the military expenses and is largely seen as the reason for the country’s narrow economic growth in the recent years. The country has languished at the bottom on most development indexes in the last eight years with rampant corruption.

The common man in Pakistan has seen little improvement in life during Musharraf rule.

The general discontent in the population has encouraged extremist elements in the North Western Frontier where whatever little Pakistani military influence was, has been on a decline.

Osama bin Ladin and his supporters are seen to be hiding in the region by the most U.S. military analysts.

Bhutto returned to Pakistan after a self-imposed exile for eight years. The return was only possible after Musharraf’s position in the country had become tenuous in the face of rising and vocal opposition from the country’s middle and lower class.

Musharraf and the U.S. administration saw Bhutto as a way to placate the rising anti-Musharraf and anti-American sentiment in the country.

Musharraf reached out to Bhutto in what is widely perceived as his effort to fix the upcoming election and American meddling in the Pakistan’s internal affairs. Musharraf hoped that he will be able to retain his influence and the control of Pakistan army and limit the general discontent in population by installing Bhutto as the next prime minister of the country.

Bhutto was viewed as a leader with moderate political and religious views and sympathetic to the Western interests in the region which angered many terrorist and religious groups. These groups prefer Pakistan to operate under religious rule and not follow democratic principles.