Introduction to History of Pakistan

Pakistan came into existence as a dominion in the British Commonwealth on August 14, 1947, the result of the partition of India into two countries. The Pakistani nation consisted of two widely separated parts—West Pakistan, the present country of Pakistan; and East Pakistan, now the independent country of Bangladesh. The name “Pakistan" was coined from initials and syllables of the names of provinces.

Violence had accompanied partition, and fighting broke out at once in Kashmir, which was claimed by both India and Pakistan. There were also disagreements over water, as India controlled the headwaters of the rivers feeding Pakistan's irrigation canals. In 1949 a truce went into effect in Kashmir, with most of that region occupied by India.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah, whose support for an independent Muslim state had led to the founding of Pakistan and who was the first governor general, died in 1948. Liaquat Ali Khan, the prime minister, was assassinated in 1951. Pakistan was left without strong, experienced leadership, and a number of political factions maneuvered for control.

In 1956 Pakistan became a federal republic, but chose to remain within the Commonwealth of Nations. Iskander Mirza, who had been governor general, was appointed provisional president. He was supported by General Mohammed Ayub Khan, commander in chief of the Pakistan army.

Political dissension continued, and the country was threatened with economic collapse. In 1958 Mirza annulled the constitution, imposed martial law, and resigned the presidency in favor of Ayub Khan.

Pakistan Under Ayub Khan

President Ayub Khan continued martial law while he undertook civil, economic, and social reforms. In 1962 a new constitution went into effect. In 1965, after banning an opposition political party, he was reelected. The Kashmir dispute led to renewed fighting that year between Pakistani and Indian forces.

Beginning in 1968, Pakistan was beset by widespread riots. The people felt that although new industries had brought some prosperity, only a minority of Pakistanis benefited from it. In East Pakistan, the people felt that the central government was neglecting their region. The country was in chaos by April, 1969, and Ayub Khan relinquished power to the army. General A. M. Yahya Khan assumed the presidency.

Loss of East Pakistan

In 1970, Pakistan's first general election was held, for a National Assembly that would write a new constitution. The East Pakistani party, called the Awami League and led by Sheikh Mujibur (Mujib) Rahman, won the majority of seats. Mujib announced that the new constitution would have to give regional autonomy to the East Pakistanis, or Bengalis, as they preferred to call themselves. President Yahya Khan postponed the meeting of the assembly, and East Pakistan threatened to secede.

In 1971 the Pakistani army launched an attack against East Pakistan. The Bengalis immediately proclaimed East Pakistan the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistani forces during the following months killed an estimated one million Bengalis. Communities, factories, and crops were destroyed. Some 10 million Bengalis fled to India.

India began assisting the Bangladesh guerrillas, and soon warfare erupted between India and Pakistan. In only 14 days India won victory, and East Pakistan became independent Bangladesh. President Yahya Khan resigned and was succeeded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a civilian. A peace treaty with India was signed in 1972. Also in 1972, Pakistan withdrew from the British Commonwealth.

Postwar Difficulties

Bhutto worked to restore constitutional rule, and in 1973 a new constitution was adopted. In 1977 elections were held and Bhutto's party was retained in power. The opposition parties, charging fraud, demanded new elections and launched a civil disobedience campaign. The army, led by General Mohammed Zia ul-Haq, then seized control. Zia made himself president in 1978. In 1979, Bhutto, who was convicted of instigating the murder of a political opponent, was executed. Zia worked to transform Pakistan into a more Islamic country, replacing laws based on Western legal concepts with Islamic law.

In 1988 Zia died in a plane crash. In elections that followed, Benazir Bhutto, the former president's daughter, became prime minister. Under Bhutto, Pakistan rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations and opened itself to international investment. The economy struggled, however, and Bhutto was accused of corruption and removed from office in 1990. The subsequent government collapsed in 1993 and Bhutto returned to power. In 1996 she was again dismissed.

In early 1990, tension and violence increased between India and Pakistan over the status of Kashmir. While leaders of India and Pakistan attempted to negotiate a settlement, the violence continued. In 1998,Pakistan detonated a series of nuclear devices in response to India's testing of nuclear weapons weeks earlier. Both countries drew international condemnation and saw crucial foreign aid and investment withheld in protest.

In December 2001, India blamed militant groups operating in Pakistan for an attack on its Parliament that killed or injured more than 20 people. The incident led the two countries to the brink of war. By the end of 2003, discussions between the two countries had led to a formal cease-fire in the hostilities along their common border, including Kashmir.

From 1988 to 1999, two parties governed Pakistan alternately—the Pakistan People's Party, led by Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto; and the Pakistan Muslim League, led by Mohammad Nawaz Sharif.

In October, 1999, General Pervez Musharraf led a military coup that overthrew Sharif's government. Musharraf suspended Parliament, suspended the Constitution, and declared himself the head of a transitional government. Sharif was later exiled to Saudi Arabia. In 2001, Musharraf declared himself president and formally dissolved Parliament. In a national referendum in April, 2002, voters approved the extension of Musharraf's term as president for five years. In August, 2002, he announced sweeping changes to Pakistan's Constitution that were designed to cement his hold on power. In late 2002 and early 2003, the Constitution, as amended by Musharraf, was restored, and elections were held for both houses of Parliament.

Many members of Parliament protested Musharraf's changes to the Constitution. At the end of 2003, a compromise was reached, and Parliament endorsed a revised version of Musharraf's changes. As part of the compromise, Musharraf agreed to step down as head of Pakistan's armed forces by the end of 2004. However, in December, 2004, he announced that he would continue to serve as military chief. Parliament had passed a law the previous month allowing Musharraf to remain in the post.

In October, 2005, a major earthquake hit north of the city of Islamabad. More than 73,000 people were killed in northern Pakistan and Pakistani-held Kashmir, and at least 1,300 were killed in Indian-held Kashmir. Over 3 million people were left homeless throughout the region.