ISLAMABAD -- The suicide bomber in Karachi, Pakistan's southern port city, who killed 11 French citizens in broad daylight, could not have found a more opportune moment to strike against the government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf. The general has spent the past few months trying to convince skeptics of his sincerity in setting the nation on a course leading to stability. Events such as the suicide bombing make it difficult to demonstrate that stability is on the horizon.
Last September's terrorist attacks in the United States created an important window of opportunity for Musharraf's government. Pakistan has been rewarded for its support of the U.S. war on terror with a restructuring of its foreign debt and a flow of international credit through institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
However, Musharraf's true test lies in his ability to deliver a stable political and economic order. The general's decision to carry out a controversial referendum in April may have given him a five-year term, but it has hardly shown he can improve the nation's outlook. For the Pakistani public, the carnage in Karachi suggests the country is nowhere near as close to progress and recovery as its leaders claim.