Bhutto Detained Again

When Benazir Bhutto announced she was going to lead a group of protesters on a 185 mile march across Pakistan beginning today, she was placed under house arrest again yesterday by President Musharraf as reported by the AP.

President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress can not continue to ignore these acts by a man desperate to maintain his control of power within Pakistan. These actions by Musharraf can only result in more unrest leading to the possibility of Islamic militants mounting serious attacks against the government involving suicide bombers, etc.

Today, it is widely reported that Bhutto is now calling for President Musharraf to step down. This statement by Bhutto effectively ends any previous intension she may have had to arrange a power sharing situation with him if she had been elected as Prime Minister in the January parliamentary election.

The front page story in today's http://www.washingtonpost.com/ "Musharraf's Army Losing Ground in Insurgent Areas" shows how difficult a position the President of Pakistan is in at the moment as he battles opposition coming from many directions.

If Musharraf loses the support of the high ranking officers within the military, his days as President will come swiftly to an end. An agreement would most likely be reached among opposition leaders and the military for an interim government until national elections could be held.

Bhutto has stated she still intends to go on the march across Pakistan, call for the reinstitution of the constitution and the reinstatement of the Supreme Court Justices.

It is important for the people of Pakistan and the security of the region that the leadership of their country be resolved in a peaceful and constitutional manner.

At this point the only hope Musharraf has for political survival, and it is a slim hope, would be to reinstate the Supreme Court Justices immediately and agree to accept their decision as to the legality of his recent reelection as President. Then in addition to stepping down from his position as General of the Army and holding Parliamentary elections in January he should also agree to hold another election for President.