Following continued tension in Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has ordered the country’s security forces to end the tension, decisively. After the assassination of People’s Party leader Mrs. Benazir Bhutto Thursday the ensuing tension has left around 50 people killed and millions of dollars of damages.

Although the government says al-Qaeda was responsible for the assassination, the People’s Party has called for full investigation into the matter. The broadcast of a film showing someone shooting toward Bhutto has led to intensified differences between this party and the government on how Bhutto was killed. Thus the government has announced its readiness for more investigation.

Meanwhile the holding of the January 8th parliamentary elections have been placed in ambiguity. Although the government has not yet decided about this issue the electoral commission is to make a decision in this regard. Leader of the Muslim League Party Nawaz Sharif has called for the elections to be postponed until conditions are ready.

The government believes terrorist and rioters intend to take advantage of the country’s situation to delay the elections and make political instability continue in the country. At any rate Musharraf’s order to the security forces could make the situation more critical, something that will be to the terrorists’ benefit and that of foreign interventionist powers.

That is why establishing peace in Pakistan requires cooperation between all factions. Since Pakistani parties are getting ready for the elections, establishing peace and confronting the terrorists is more than ever required, and this needs cooperation among the government and political groups.

IRIB