Benazir Bhutto Assassinated
With news that the former prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, has been assassinated, it’s probably appropriate to point readers to a special page for coverage of blogger reaction and reports over at Global Voices Online. I’m sure the section will be an important addition to the information already coming out of Pakistan via the news wires and main media outlets.
On 27th Dec 2007, Benazir Bhutto, ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan was assassinated in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, where she was addressing a political rally (see coverage from the New York Times and The Guardian). She served as the country’s Prime Minister from 1988 to 1990, and from 1993 to 1996, and returned to Pakistan in Oct 2007 after a period of exile. Her death comes at a crucial time for Pakistan, as the political emergency period was recently lifted, and elections are scheduled in Jan 2008.
Bloggers writing from and about Pakistan have expressed shock and concern, even as many of them disagree with her politics. Her death is seen as the latest in the series of attacks on civilians and as reflective of the larger issue of law and order in the country. Concerns have been expressed about the consequences of this tragedy both politically and immediately in terms of violence on the streets. This page aggregates some of the commentary on the assassination from Global Voices and from bloggers in Pakistan and other parts of South Asia.
Global Voices Online’s special coverage of the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination can be found here.
