In the wake of the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Senator McCaskill is calling on the Bush Administration to put pressure on the government of Pakistan’s President Perez Musharraf to postpone the scheduled January 8th elections.

McCaskill says postponing the elections is important if Bhutto’s political party is to be given a chance to coalesce around a new leader. McCaskill also wants to see the Bush Administration closely watch how the Musharraf government handles the investigation into Bhutto’s death. McCaskill says a credible investigation that clears the Musharraf government of any role in the killing would be seen as a positive development.

McCaskill praises Bhutto saying, “She knew the risk she was taking when she returned to her country.” McCaskill adds, “This was a very brave woman. I think that, deep down, she realized the chances were very great that she would lose her life in trying to do the right thing to go back to the Pakistani people to try to establish democracy and, more importantly, a much more aggressive fight against terrorism.”

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