The crisis in Pakistan is being increased by the thoughtless behavior of too many people. The government’s claim that Benazir Bhutto died of a fractured skull rather than a bullet or blast wounds may or may not be correct. However, by broadcasting its conclusions in the face of claims by those who had seen the slain politician’s body, the authorities have only deepened suspicions that they were in some way responsible for the assassination. The destructive riots by Bhutto’s supporters have been a disgrace. Plundering banks, destroying railway stations and rolling stock and torching government offices is a deeply pointless way of registering their anger. What is more, it dishonors the memory of their late leader.

Nawaz Sharif was also wrong to announce so quickly that his Pakistan Muslim League would boycott the Jan. 8 elections, before apparently consulting with the rival PPP. He did at least have the personal courage to visit the Bhutto family home yesterday and pay his respects to Benazir’s husband Asif Ali Zardari and the family. Sharif was generally well-received by PPP supporters. Whether Sharif and Zardari and the PPP advisers discussed the upcoming election was not made clear after the visit.

Some observers believe Sharif fears a massive sympathy vote in nine days’ time for Benazir’s PPP, hence his electoral boycott. If true, this is a shortsighted ploy. What Pakistan needs now is democratic politicians who are prepared to work together, in the short-term at least, in order to restore stability. By removing his party from the election, Sharif is distorting the electoral process and sowing seeds for future rows and resentment.

There is also the point that it may not be physically possible for the Jan. 8 poll to go ahead as scheduled. The three days of national mourning which have seen the country virtually shut down, the mindless violence by PPP supporters and criminal gangs who have cashed in on the mayhem plus the destruction of voting papers and some polling stations may very well mean it is impossible to hold a free and fair election. A short delay may be necessary and sensible. However, by quickly taking up a confrontational position with the boycott, Sharif has injected unwelcome tension into an already extremely tense situation.

There are those who say that throughout its history, Pakistan has lurched from one political crisis to another and that the country will once again muddle through. They are wrong. Pakistanis now face a new and utterly insidious threat from the forces of terrorism. They will stop at absolutely nothing to destroy — not only President Musharraf’s administration but all democratic politicians who are jockeying for power. The prize is easy to see. Pakistan is a nuclear nation. If the country can be reduced to chaos by terrorism compounded by squabbling politicians, there is no telling how close the kinds of Al-Qaeda might get to the nuclear trigger. What is needed now from all political leaders is statesmanship, not self-interest.