National unity government is Musharraf’s only hope

THE assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has brought Pakistan’s state of turmoil to new heights. As head of the nation’s most popular political party, Ms Bhutto largely transcended Pakistan’s ethnic and sectarian divides.

Her return from exile in October was seen as a step toward curbing the country’s fragmentation; her murder shatters those hopes.

President Pervez Musharraf must take immediate steps — most importantly, the formation of a national unity government — to prevent Pakistan from tearing apart.