Bhuttos killing has set the agenda for Pak to think seriously about democracy: CSM

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto has in a way, set the agenda for the Pakistan Government for dealing with the terrorism and militant threat, says a Christian Science Monitor (CSM) report.

New York, Dec.28 : The assassination of Benazir Bhutto has in a way, set the agenda for the Pakistan Government for dealing with the terrorism and militant threat, says a Christian Science Monitor (CSM) report.

Before her return to Pakistan, Bhutto commenting about the risk of assassination said: "What I really need to ask myself is: Do I give up, do I let the militants determine the agenda?"

According to CSM, it is a question every Pakistani, indeed everyone, must now ask after her December 27 killing.

It says that there are several ways to honour Bhutto's legacy.

The first way to honour her legacy would be for President Pervez Musharraf to set up an independent and respected panel of investigators to uncover the group and circumstances behind her assassination.

Knowing the hand behind this killing will help wake up Pakistanis to forces they must confront - rather than continuing to say the fight against terror is only an American problem.

A second way to honour Bhutto's legacy is for Musharraf to pick up her banner of relentlessly trying to bring back democracy to Pakistan. He must ensure that the January 8 parliamentary elections are delayed only long enough for her Pakistan Peoples Party - perhaps the largest in the country - to regroup under a new leader and to allow better security measures to be given to major candidates.

As the export centre for global terrorism, Pakistan must quickly overcome its long history of political violence and religious-ethnic-class divides to unite under democratic principles.

Pakistanis must now realize from this tragedy that their future lies not so much in political personalities like Bhutto, but in the principles that she stood for and in suppressing militancy.

Another way to honour her legacy is to allow women in Pakistan to come forward and challenge their lesser roles in society.

ANI