With the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, which deepened the current political crisis in Pakistan, and with very little hope for holding the upcoming elections, political instability in Pakistan may have serious effects in the "War on Terror" both in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Despite having a controversial (allegedly corrupt) past, Mrs. Bhutto managed to appear as a popular figure and draw a strong support from different layers of society, which could have had a serious affect, had she been able to win the elections, on the overall war against Taliban and other extremists who are currently operating, almost freely, in border areas with Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Her assassination has left a huge political vacuum at the heart of Pakistan's nuclear-armed state, which appears to be slipping gradually, and possibly intentionally, into an abyss of violence and religious extremism.
Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party was the only national political institution that had the potential to represent Pakistanis of all ethnic and religious backgrounds. In a country that is increasingly being dominated by religious hardliners, the Taliban (who also enjoy support from certain institutions within the Pakistani Government), and sectarian violence, her role was crucial in bringing stability, halting the spread of violence and most important of all, controlling the growing militancy and Talibanism that has plagued the country in the last decade.
The question of how her tragic death may affect the overall strategy of combating the growing Taliban - Al Qaida's strength in Pakistans tribal areas, seems to be very difficult to answer, especially at a moment when Bhutto herself seemed to be the only answer.
Her recent stand against the Taliban and other religious extremists, something the military government has failed to do, despite receiving enormous economic aid from Bush Administration, made her the only hope for more than one - third of the electorate who strongly oppose Musharraf's policies, army rule and religious extremism.
The deadly violence that erupted after her death will have serious consequences for both the International Community and Afghan government who are currently facing a growing insurgency. It will certainly hamper their attempts to combat affectively the Taliban insurgency, which is based in Pakistan, while it certainly strengthens the Taliban position in the region. On the other hand, this incident would surely paralyze the vital strategic relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is crucial for tackling the cross-border terrorism and Taliban in Afghanistan.
The relationship between Mr. Karzai, the Afghan President and Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani president, has at times been poisonous. The Afghan government is increasingly uncomfortable about the presence of Taliban bases in Pakistan, which is one of the main reasons behind the recent insurgency inside Afghanistan. Her death is a serious blow to Mr. Hamid Karzai, who had high hopes for establishing a better relationship between two countries as he use to see her as serious partner in the struggle against religious fundamentalism.
Now with the prospects of a fair and free election doomed after her death, the country is moving towards more unrest and instability, and it is very unlikely that a military dictatorship will be able to effectively counter the spread of Taliban and religious extremism, both in the border areas and in other major urban centers. On the other hand it is possible to predict that the terrorists will take advantage of an increasing power vacuum in Pakistan and try to spread their influence and power. This is something that makes everybody worried.