Asia and Oceania

Pakistan
Last reviewed: 01 October 2009

Country information

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HISTORY

In 1947, on independence from Britain, the subcontinent was split into 2 successor states: the Dominion of India and that of Pakistan, both with the UK Monarch as Head of State and represented in each by a Governor General. East and West Pakistan was created from the frontier areas of British India, where the military had always been an integral part of local administration. Civilian institutions were correspondingly weak, provincial loyalties strong. Pakistan was created by the Muslim League to be a homeland for the Muslims of British India. However, Pakistan's new leaders found it hard to devise a constitutional structure that could unite the various provinces, and incorporate both the East and West portions of the country. Early state-building was further complicated by a war with India in 1947, and the early death of Pakistan's founding father M A Jinnah in 1948, and first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951.

It took almost 8 years to agree a final constitution. This established Pakistan as a republic within the Commonwealth in 1956. But the new parliamentary system was soon in difficulty: in 1958, General Ayub Khan launched Pakistan's first military coup. Martial law was declared, political parties abolished and a pattern of military control was established that has characterised almost half of Pakistan's existence since independence. In 1960 Khan became President. A new constitution, placing politics firmly under military guidance, was promulgated in 1962. But a failure to win a second war with India in 1965, mounting corruption and increasingly uncontainable Bengali frustrations in East Pakistan gradually undermined Khan's authority, finally forcing his resignation in 1969. The first election on a nationally democratic basis was conducted in 1970. The elections saw the East-Pakistan Awami League gaining an overall majority, which the West Pakistan administration refused to accept.

This set the stage for a new constitutional crisis that in turn led to civil war in March 1971 and, following Indian intervention, the emergence of East Pakistan as the independent state of Bangladesh. Since then civilian and military administrations have governed as follows:

1973-77: President and then Prime Minister Z A Bhutto
1977-88: President General Zia ul Haq
1988-99: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (PPP) and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (PML) (alternating terms)
1999-Oct 2002: General Pervez Musharraf
Nov 2002-Aug 2008: President Pervez Musharraf
Sep 2008-present: President Asif Ali Zardari

2007

9 March: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry dismissed from the Supreme Court.
10 Sept: Nawaz Sharif briefly returns to Pakistan but is expelled to Saudi Arabia
14 Sept: Benazir Bhutto announces she will return to Pakistan
20 Sept: Election Commission announce date of Presidential election for 6 October
6 Oct: President Musharaf secures landslide re-election result
18 Oct: Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan ending 7 years of self imposed exile
3 Nov: President Musharraf declares a State of Emergency and suspends the constitution. 60 Judges dismissed from Supreme Court and High Court
22 Nov: Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group suspends Pakistan from councils of the Commonwealth; sets out a number of pre-requisites for lifting suspension, including the restoration of democracy and the rule of law.
25 Nov: Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan
28 Nov: Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf resigns as Chief of Army Staff; hands over command to General Kayani.
29 Nov: Musharraf sworn in as President for second term
27 Dec: Benazir Bhutto assassinated in Rawalpindi
30 Dec: Benazir Bhutto's 19-year-old son Bilawal chosen to take over as figurehead of Pakistan People's Party; her widower Asif Ali Zardari becomes Co-Chairman.

2008

2 Jan: The Government of Pakistan announced the elections scheduled for 8 January would be delayed until 18 February on the advice of the Electoral Commission.
18 Feb: Parliamentary and Provincial elections take place
21 Feb: PPP and PML-N agree to form coalition government
17 Mar: New National Assembly inaugurated
19 Mar: Fehimida Mirza elected Speaker and Faisal Karim Kundi elected the Deputy Speaker.
24 Mar: National Assembly vote in Yousaf Raza Gilani as Prime Minister.
13 May: Nawaz Sharif withdrew his PML-N ministers from the Cabinet, leaving the PPP with a very narrow and unstable majority of four seats.
13 May: Pakistan readmitted to Commonwealth.
07 Aug: PPP and PML (N) announce they will prepare impeachment charges against General (retd) Musharraf.
18 Aug: Musharraf defends record but announces resignation in national address on state television.
25 Aug: Nawaz Sharif pulls his PML-N party out of the coalition government.
06 Sept: Asif Ali Zardari elected President winning 68% of the votes
25 Feb: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) declared leader of the PML-N, Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister of the Punjab, Shahbaz Aharif ineligible to contest national or provinicial elections, thereby removing Shanhbaz as Chief Minister and barring Nawaz from becoming President or Prime Minister.
22 Mar: Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry reinstated as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

2009

25 Feb The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) declared leader of the PML-N, Nawaz Sharif, and Chief Minister of the Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif ineligible to contest national or provincial elections, thereby removing Shahbaz as Chief Minster and barring Nawaz from becoming President or Prime Minister. President Zardari instigated Governor’s Rule in Punjab.
12 Mar The Long March began. Organised by the Lawyers Movement and supported by opposition political parties, this called for the reinstatement of the former Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, and removal of the judges appointed by Musharraf under a constitutional order.
22 Mar Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry reinstated as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
30 Mar Governor’s Rule in Punjab lifted.
14 Apr President Zardari signed a peace agreement with leaders of Swat-based militants, providing for the imposition of sharia law in Malakand Division.
6 May Following further militant advances, Pakistani security forces launched a campaign to retake Buner and Swat.
26 May SCP overturned its previous judgement of 25 February, declaring the Sharif brothers eligible to stand for public office.
26 May SCP overturned its previous judgement of 25 February, declaring the Sharif brothers eligible to stand for public office.
17 July Nawaz Sharif is acquitted of plane hijacking charges, enabling him to run for office.

A full chronology is available on the BBC News website.