'Everything just becomes more uncertain now'

Area Pakistanis say they're dealing with sadness, shock, anger and overwhelming concern following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in their native country.

Whether they moved to the United States or were born here, many said their connections to Pakistan remain solid and they're worried about the country's future.

"I just could not believe it," Aamna Shah, 22, of Oak Brook said Thursday. "I'm kind of scared and worried. I've noticed that Pakistan has gone through a lot these past few months, and this puts the country in a very ambivalent state."

Shah knew people were upset when Bhutto returned after being in exile for many years, and she knew Bhutto was being threatened.

But the assassination two weeks before elections was the last thing Shah expected.

"I just hope for the best," she said. "I hope others won't be attacked. I'm hoping that elections still happen and that we do this in a smart way instead of being angry and reacting."

Rasheed Sheikh of Bartlett, who moved to Illinois in the early 1980s, is worried about the state of his native country and frustrated that elections weren't conducted in a proper, democratic fashion.

"This is very sad," he said. "This is not the way to do anything. It should not be by a bullet. It should be by a ballot."

Sheikh thinks elections may be postponed.

"Pakistan is in chaos, inside and out," he said. "We have to maintain security first, and we have to hope, pray and consolidate our country toward the best thing."

Rabeah Sabri, 22, of Glendale Heights, said her initial reaction was sadness and shock, but then reality hit.

"None of this is very surprising," she said. "In a country that lacks a certain sense of order, political violence is a common means of expressing dissent.

"Bhutto, even with her conflicted legacy, is someone who's very popular. If there were a democratic election, she was one of the favored people and this takes Pakistan further off its path toward liberal democracy."

Pakistan has been on its way up over the past 10 years, Sabri said, and even in recent months, things seemed headed in a good direction.

"There were some positive steps and there were some negative steps, but this is a very big negative step," she said. "Everything just becomes more uncertain now."