Now it146;s Lahore

The suicide bomber who blew himself up in Lahore on Thursday, killing more than 20 other persons in the process, was as clear in the symbolic choice of target as could be. Outside the city8217;s historic high court building, he zeroed in on a group of policemen preparing to handle an anti-government agitation. The Lahore high court has been the centre of gravity of the lawyers8217; movement in Pakistan that began in March with the suspension of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chowdhury. That agitation first got results when that court ordered his reinstatement. Subsequently, after dozens of judges, including Chowdhury, were removed from their posts during President Pervez Musharraf8217;s November emergency, the lawyers have been demanding their reinstatement. The lawyers have in effect triangulated the standoff in Pakistan. While the political opposition faces off against the government for free and inclusive elections, the lawyers are demanding that this democratic reform must include independence for the judiciary.

In symbolism, therefore, this suicide attack is a sophisticated understanding of this complex reality by extremists. A fortnight ago another suicide attack took Benazir Bhutto8217;s life. The Pakistani government8217;s response to that has involved so many retractions that it has needed to call in investigators from abroad 8212; Britain8217;s Scotland Yard 8212; to make the investigation credible. With the security forces being viewed with suspicion already, Thursday8217;s attack comes as an especially difficult challenge for Musharraf8217;s government. The lawyers have been keen to keep their protest uncompromised by the politicians8217; willingness to make the best of the forthcoming elections. On Thursday at the Lahore court, preparations were on for a protest against Musharraf. Handled badly, it is bound to fuel the kind of anti-government sentiment that has already intensified after Bhutto8217;s assassination.

Unfortunately, the expectation is that, given the erosion of credibility the government has suffered after Bhutto8217;s death, civil society8217;s ire will be targeted at Army HQ and the president8217;s office. If they are wise, they will deal with the attack8217;s aftermath by showing greater resolve to hurry a transition to democracy, not by trying to use the incident to postpone it.