New York Times Articles Elizabeth John

Political issues in Pakistan have been occuring for decades. The political forces consist of the Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party and the anti-peoples party force represented by the Zia Ul-Haq constituency. Benazir Bhutto is the daughter of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was overthrown by General Zia in 1977 and hanged in 1979. Benazir Bhutto had wide public sympathy when she won the election in November 1988. Benazir Bhutto was Prime Minister for two years from 1988 to 1990 until her government was dismissed by the president of Pakistan. General Zia died in a plane crash that also killed the U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphael. The ceremony for General Zia was held where is son Mr. Ijaz planned to speak for his own political future. He planned to exploit Bhutto's husband and father-in law. After Bhutto was Prime Minister again from 1993 to 1996 she had exiled herself to London. Upon returning to Pakistan there was raised hopes in Pakistan that democracy and stability may be obtained, but with her assasiantion Pakistan may be from achieving anything of this sought. Her death leaves the Bush Administration with a question and no strategy for helping Pakistan especailly with the unaccountable dictation of President Musharraf. Mr. Bush and Washington must now call new rules to assure a truly democratic vote in the upcoming elections. Pakistans People Party must be allowed to select a new candidate and launch a campaign. Washington has also demanded that Pakistans other main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif be allowed to run. Washington must also try to get President Musharraf to reinstate the impartial supreme court he fired last month in order to block a rigged election. The Bhutto family are democratic but imperfect political leaders. Even though the father was imperious and Benazir was brought on corruption charges these two leaders both had electoral legitimacy. The Bush administration has to rethink alot. We have been supplying billions of dollars to Pakistan's Military. The money is supposed to finance the fight against Al Queda and the Taliban. A report in the Times has stated otherwise, it showed that Washington hasn't been keeping a close watch and much of the money has been going to projects that interest President Musharraf and the army. Pakistan has been building weapons against our allies India while Al Queda and the Taliban continue to make gains. American policy must now be set on building a strong democracy in Pakistan that the respect and support of its own citizens and the will to fight Al Queda and the Taliban. CIA's judgement is the first formal assessment by the American government about who was responsible for the assasination which took place in a rally in the Garinson city of Rawalpindi. Officials have obtained different pieces of information that have painted to the man responsible for the assasination is Mr. Mehsud. Pakistani authorites announced that they intercepted communications between Mr. Mehsud and militant supporters in which Mehsud congratulated his followers for the assasination and seemed to take responsibilty for it. But Mehsud has denied responsiblity and suggested the assasins were directed by Musharraf who is a longtime rival of Bhutto. Family and friends balme Musharraf for not supplying Bhutto with adequete security while campaigning. American and Pakastani officials have blamed Mr. Mehsud's followers for many recent suicide attacks against government military and intelligence in Pakistan.