It is true that it is difficult for General Pervez Musharraf to believe charges of complicity or tolerance of mass murder against some close friends and associates. But it is equally true that the victim’s concerns must not be ignored. Allaying Bhutto’s fears, resulting from almost two decades of being hounded by the establishment, is crucial if terrorism is to be defeated through a combination of popular support and law enforcement authority.

The third lesson of October 18 is that the popularity of Benazir Bhutto and the PPP remain undiminished by the political developments of the last two decades. The US (or for that matter the Pakistani establishment) could not have put the massive crowd that turned up to welcome Bhutto in the streets. The spirit of the PPP’s workers, which remained undiminished even after the terrorist attack, is impossible to orchestrate.

Why did so many members of Pakistan’s intelligentsia fail to predict that Bhutto’s return from exile would generate an enthusiasm similar to the PPP’s shows of popular support in the past? One explanation might lie in the fact that over the years two Pakistans have evolved with very different understandings and certainly divergent priorities.

Well-to-do Pakistan has gone hoarse condemning Bhutto for her failings in and out of power and most recently for negotiating with Musharraf. But the masses seem unaffected by these arguments.

The writer is director of Boston University’s Center for International Relations