The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The killing of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is a lesson for the politicians of the sub-continent who are practicing politics in a peaceful way. Restoration of democracy is needed in the shortest possible time to avoid such incidents in the country, international relations and political experts said yesterday.

Prof Dr Imtiaj Ahmed former chairman of the DU International Relations department yesterday told the New Nation the matter is not a matter of Pakistan only it has also some relevance in regard to sub-continent politics.

"Few people of the country has tended towards extremism and it would be a deadly combination if those people have arms in their hands, so the government should keep careful eye on the matter," Prof Imtiaj said.

Such incidents could be avoided in the country by the restoration of democracy in the country, he added.

Prof Imtiaj said this type of attack and killing was not unexpected in a country like Pakistan where extremists have deep roots. There might be a Shia-Sunni conflict connection in the incident, he added.

Former chairman of Political Science Department of Dhaka University Prof Dr Ataur Rahman also termed the matter as serious and urged for flourishing democratic society as soon as possible in the country to avoid this kind of attacks. He said the attack was also a lesson for the politicians of Bangladesh as fundamentalists also have a root here.

Such attacks in Pakistan were not unexpected at all and hints of such attacks were found in the country earlier since the return of Benazir in Pakistan, he said. As Pakistan was a frontline state fighting against international terrorism with the US, it was vulnerable for terrorist attacks, he added.

Prof Ataur said absence of democracy in Pakistan for a long time fuelled such attacks.

He also said this attack was a set back for Pakistan's democracy, now the election there is very much uncertain. The politicians of Pakistan would now fear to hold rally or meeting the democracy of it would not be restored soon, said Porf Ataur.

"This kind of terrorist attacks may also hamper the relation of Pakistan with India," he said.