: What If The Next Attempt On Musharraf’s Life Succeeds?

Since taking over the government of Pakistan from the previous democratically elected (yet ineffectual) leader Nawaz Sharif, President-General Pervez Musharraf has made halting steps toward a return to democratic rule. Along the way, however, this progress was slowed when he led Pakistan in an about-face with respect to support for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, and sided solidly with the United States in support of the war against international terrorism. In the last two years, Pakistani officials (with the help of US forces) have nabbed several high-level terror suspects, despite nagging accusations of harboring others, including bin Laden himself. Now, perhaps of his effectiveness, it seems that al-Qaida has turned its evil eye toward Musharraf, and is the likely suspect behind two serious assassination attempts, which killed nearly 20 people despite leaving the Pakistani president unharmed. The high organization of the attacks, the latest of which happened in a high-security area only 2 kilometers from Musharraf’s house, is leaving many wondering what might happen to Pakistan should a future attempt on his life succeed. Musharraf has brought a level of stability to a country that seems to be continually on the brink of chaos. But with democratic reforms stalled, no clear line of succession, and nuclear arms at stake, perhaps al-Qaida has calculated that taking out Musharraf would cause maximum chaos – an environment which the organization thrives on.

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.