The tragedy that marred Benazir Bhutto’s triumphant return home reinforced several truths that have either been played down or simply ignored over the last several years. The first and foremost of these is the fact that terrorism is a threat to Pakistan and Pakistanis, and not merely a response to the foreign policy of a distant superpower.

Too many Pakistanis have convinced themselves that the war against terrorism is America’s war. But Pakistan has faced terrorism, first in the form of sectarian killings and later in the shape of orchestrated bombings, ever since its security services got involved in proxy wars in Afghanistan and Kashmir since the 1980s.

Even before the October 18 carnage in Karachi, 2007 had become the worst year for terrorist activity in Pakistan. More people have died in terrorist violence during the first ten months of this year than in preceding years. So far the number of reported fatalities for the year stands at 2037. The number of suicide bombings in Pakistan has been continually on the rise.

Pakistan needs to fight terrorism for the sake of its own people and not just because the US is willing to provide large amounts of economic and military aid for fighting terrorists, because extremists will not stop even if Pakistan distances itself from the Washington.

The second lesson of the unfortunate terrorist attacks on the PPP rally is that Bhutto is a brave and courageous woman who cannot and will not be deterred easily by either the threats of terrorists or the machinations of those who have consistently conspired against her. Even after the attacks, Bhutto did not change her stance against terror nor did she back away from her demand for restoration of democracy and free and fair elections. Bhutto’s suspicion that certain elements within Pakistan’s ruling establishment might be behind the bid to kill her should not be disregarded.

... contd.