POLITICAL HISTORY (1988-2008)

PROF. ADNAN

M.ABDULLAH
 THIRD DEMOCRATIC ERA (1988-1999)
 TENURE OF BENAZIR BHUTTO (1988-1990)
 TENURE OF NAWAZ SHAREEF (1990-1993)
 TENURE OF BENAZIR BHUTTO (1993-1996)
 TENURE OF NAWAZ SHAREEF (1997-1999)

 THIRD MILITARY ERA (1999-2007)

 TENURE OF PERVEZ MUSHAARAF-AZIZ(1990-2007)
 PERSONAL INFO-CARERR
 DEATH OF ZIA-UL-HAQ
 BENAZIR BHUTTO BECAME PRIME MINISTER
 4TH SAARAC CONFERENCE
 PARTY ALLIENCE
 FOREIGN POLICY
 PRESIDENTAL ELECTIONS
 FACING PROBLEMS IN GOVERNMENT
 DISSOLVED ASSEMBLIES
 CARE-TAKER PRIME MINISTER
 BORN: JUNE 21,1953, IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN
 DAUGHTER OF ZULIFQAR ALI BHUTTO (A POLITICAL LEADER AND FORMER PRIME
MINISTER) AND NUSRAT BHUTTO (FORMER MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND DEPUTY
PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN)
 MARRIED: DECEMBER 18, 1987 TO ASIF ALI ZARDARI (IN BUSINESS, TWICE ELECTED
MEMBER OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND SENATE)
 POLITICS: AFTER ELECTIONS HELD NOVEMBER 1988, INVITED TO FORM THE
GOVERNMENT, BECAME PRIME MINISTER IN 1988 BUT HER GOVERNMENT WAS
ILLEGALLY DISMISSED IN AUGUST 1990. SHE AGAIN CAME TO POWER AFTER HER PARTY
WON A MAJORITY IN ELECTIONS HELD IN OCTOBER 1993. HER GOVERNMENT WAS ONCE
AGAIN DISMISSED ILLEGALLY IN. NOVEMBER 1996.
 ZIA-UL-HAQ WAS KILLED IN AN AIR CRASH ON AUG 17, 1988.
 HE WENT TO BHAWALPUR TO SEE THE DEMONSTRATION OF TANKS.
 ON HIS RETURN JOURNEY, HIS AIRCRAFT C-130 EXPLODED IN AIR A FEW MINUTUS
AFTER TAKER OFF FROM BHAWALPUR.
 WITH DEATH OF ZIA-UL-HAQ, THE 11 YEAR MILITARY RULE CAME TO END.
 AS DEATH OF ZIA-UL-HAQ, CHAIRMAN SENATE GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN BECAME THE
NEXT ACTING PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN ACCORDING TO CONSTITUTION.
 ELECTIONS ARE HELD IN NOVEMBER 1988. ON 16 NOVEMBER 1988 ELECTION FOR
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND ON 19 NOVEMBER 1988 ELECTION FOR PROVINCIAL
ASSEMBLY HELD.
  IN THE 16 NOVEMBER 1988 ELECTION, PAKISTAN PEOPLE PARTY WON 94 SEATS IN
THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.
 SHE BECAME THE 11TH PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN ON 2 DECEMBER 1988.

PARTIES ALLIENCE
 WITH THE COOPERATION OF 8 M. Q. M. MEMBERS AND 13 MEMBERS OF THE
FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED TRIBAL AREA, THE P. P. P. SHOWED A CLEAR
MAJORITY
 ON THE OTHER HAND; THE IJI COMPRISED THE PML, JI, JUI, NATIONAL
PEOPLE’S PARTY (NPP), NIZAM-I-MUSTAFA GROUP, MARKAZI JAMIAT AHLE
HADITH (LAKHVI), JAMIAT MASHAIKH PAKISTAN (JMP), AZAD GROUP AND
HIZBULLAH JIHAD.
 THESE PARTIES AND GROUPS CONTESTED THE ELECTION UNDER THE
SYMBOL OF THE ‘BICYCLE’ AGAINST THE BENAZIR BHUTTO-LED PPP WITH
THE SYMBOL ‘ARROW’.
 THE P.P.P. GOVERNMENT HOSTED THE FOURTH S.A.A.R.C. SUMMIT CONFERENCE IN 29-
31 DECEMBER 1988 , HELD IN ISLAMABAD.
 THIS CONFERENCE WAS ATTENDED BY THE PRESIDENTS OF BANGLADESH, THE
MALDIVES AND SRI LANKA, THE PRIME MINISTERS OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN, AND THE
KINGS OF BHUTAN AND NEPAL.
 AS A RESULT OF CONFERENCE ,PAKISTAN AND INDIA FINALIZED DIFFERENT
AGREEMENT.

 ACCORDING TO THE DEAL BETWEEN GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN AND BENAZIR

BHUTTO, PAKISTAN PEOPLES PARTY VOTED FOR GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN. GHULAM
ISHAQ KHAN WAS ALSO THE CONSENSUS CANDIDATE OF ISLAMI JAMUHRI
ITTEHAD(IJI). FOUR CANDIDATES TOOK PART IN THE ELECTIONS, WITH GHULAM
ISHAQ KHAN WINNING AND SECURING THE HIGHEST 608 VOTES AGAINST
NAWABZADA NASRULLAH KHAN ON DECEMBER 12 1988.
FOREIGN POLICY
 THE GOVT OF BENAZIR BHUTTO ADOPTED A ‘NO-CONFRONTATION POLICY’
WITH INDIA.
 WHEN RAJIV GHANDHI VISTED PAKISTAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FOURTH
SAARC CONFERENCE, BENAZIR BHOUTTO JOINED HAND FOR ESTABLISHING
GOOD RELATION WITH HIM.
 BILATERAL TENSION INCREASED IN EARLY 1990, WHEN KASHMIRI
MILITANTS BEGAN A COMPAIGN OF VOILENCE AGAINST INDIAN GOVT
AUTHORITY IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR.

PAKISTAN REJOIN COMMONWEALTH

 AFTER SEPARATION FROM THE COMMONWWEALTH PAKISTAN
REJOINED IT IN 1989.
SOCIAL WELFARE

 THE GOVT HAD LAUNCHED THE PEOPLE WORKS PROGRAMME FOR

DEVOLPMENT AND SOCIAL WELFARE OF THE COUNTRY. FOR PROVIDING
EMPLOYEMENT TO THE PUBLIC, A DEPARTMENT, PLACEMENT BUREAU, WAS
SET UP.THOUSAND OF PEOPLE GOT EMPLOYMENT THROUGH IT.
 BUT SOON , BENAZIR’S GOVERNMENT STARTED FACING PROBLEM ON THE
POLITICAL FORUM.
 MANY OF THE THINGS THAT SHE HAD PROMISED IN HER ELECTION CAMPAIGN
WERE NOT DELIVERED BECAUSE THE PAKISTANI STATE DID NOT HAVE THE
FINANCES TO FUND THEM; SHE HAD CLAIMED THAT A MILLION NEW HOMES
WOULD BE BUILT EACH YEAR AND THAT UNIVERSAL FREE EDUCATION AND
HEALTHCARE WOULD BE INTRODUCED, NONE OF WHICH WAS ECONOMICALLY
FEASIBLE FOR HER GOVERNMENT TO DELIVER
 THE COUNTRY ALSO FACED A GROWING PROBLEM WITH THE ILLEGAL
NARCOTICS TRADE, WITH PAKISTAN BEING ONE OF THE WORLD'S HIGHEST
HEROIN EXPORTERS AND HAVING RAPIDLY GROWING LEVELS OF DOMESTIC
USAGE. BHUTTO PROMISED THAT SHE WOULD TAKE TOUGH ACTION ON THE
POWERFUL DRUG BARONS.
 SERIOUS CONCEPTUAL DIFFERENCE AROSE BETWEEN THE P.P.P. GOVERNMENT
AND THE ESTABLISHMENT. ON TWO POINTS; THE APPOINTMENT OF THE MILITARY
CHIEFS AND SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES. LESS THEN TWO YEARS LATER , ON
AUGUST 6,1990, HER GOVERNMENT WAS ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION AND
DISMISSED BY THE PRESIDENT , GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN, WHO EXERCISED HIS
POWER THROUGH THE CONTROVERSIAL EIGHT AMENDMENT OF THE
CONSTITUTION AND DISSOLVED ASSEMBLIES AND BENAZIR BHUTTO WAS
DISMISSED FROM POWER ON THE CHARGES OF CORRUPTION.

 PRESIDENT GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN DISSOLVED THE NATIONAL AND

PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES ON AUGUST 6, 1990, AND DECLARED A STATE OF
EMERGENCY IN THE COUNTRY. ELECTIONS WERE SCHEDULED TO BE HELD
ON OCTOBER 24, 1990. GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN DID NOT APPOINT A NEUTRAL
OR NON-PARTISAN CARETAKER CABINET OR PRIME MINISTER. HE CHOSE
THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE FORMER NATIONAL ASSEMBLY,
GHULAM MUSTAFA JATOI, AS THE NEW CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER OF
PAKISTAN.
 BENAZIR BHUTTO GOVERNMENT DISMISSED
 PARTIES ALLIANCE
 GLIMPSE OF NAWAZ SHARIF’S RULE
 NAWAZ PROJECTS
 MOTORWAY PROJECT
 FOREIGN POLICY OF NAWAZ SHARIF
 FALL OF NAWAZ SHARIF
 CARE-TAKER PRIME MINISTER
 THE GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN DISMISSED BENAZIR BHUTTO GOVT. THE 7TH
ELECTIONS FOR THE NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY WERE HELD ON
OCTOBER 24,1990.
 MIAN MUHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF THE EX-CHIEF MINISTER OF PUNJAB WAS
ELECTED AS THE 12TH PRIME MINISTER ON NOVEMBER 6,1990.

 NAWAZ SHARIF AND IJI WON 105 SEATS.

 NAWAZ ALSO MADE AN ALLIANCE WITH AWAMI NATIONAL PARTY(ANP) AND
IUI(FAZAL-UR-REHMAN GROUP)
 NAWAZ SHARIF FORM A GOVT WITH THE SUPPORT OF 153 MNA’S.
• EMERGENCY; LIFTED OFF IN NOV 7,1990.
• PRIVATIZATION COMMISSION
• DOMESTIC ISSUES
• NATIONAL FINANCE COMMISSION
• FOREIGN INVESTMENT
• AGRICULTURE POLICY(MAY 1990)
• SELF EMPLOYMENT SCHEME
• ARMY OPERATION IN SINDH
• CONSERVATIVE POLICY
• SCIENCE POLICY
 Motorway project
 The Gawadar Miniport Project
 Ghazi Brotha Project
 Murree and kahuta Project
 Yellow Cab Scheme

 THE MOTORWAY PROJECT INAUGURATED IN JANUARY 11,1992.ITS 337KM

LONG AND 80 METERS WIDE. ITS COST WAS 23 BILLION 686 MILLION
RUPEES.
 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WAS GIVEN TO DAEWOO COMPANY OF PUNJAB.
• NAWAZ GOVT MAINTAIN GOOD RELATIONS WITH USA.
• THEN USA PAY THE ECONOMIC AID(546 MILLION DOLLAR)
• GIVE 17 F-17 PLANES

 NAWAZ SHARIF REGIME WAS FAR BETTER THAN

 BENAZIR BHUTTO.
 THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY REMAINED BUSY IN LEGISLATION.
 BUT THE NAWAZ SHARIF NOT HAVE SATISFIED RELATIONS WITH
PRESIDENT GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN.
 ASSEMBLY DISMISSED AT APRIL 18,1993
 PRESIDENT GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN DISSOLVED THE NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL
ASSEMBLIES ON APRIL 19, 1993, AND APPOINTED MIR BALAKH SHER KHAN
MAZARI AS THE CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER. GENERAL ELECTIONS WERE
SCHEDULED TO BE HELD ON JULY 14, 1993.
 BALAKH SHER MAZARI'S TENURE AS CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER ENDED ON
MAY 26, 1993, WHEN THE SUPREME COURT REVOKED THE PRESIDENTIAL
ORDER AND REINSTATED NAWAZ SHARIF AS THE PRIME MINISTER.

 ON MAY 26, 1993, THE SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN DECLARED THE

PRESIDENTIAL ORDER OF THE ASSEMBLIES' DISSOLUTION AS
UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND RULED FOR RESTORING THE NAWAZ GOVERNMENT
AND THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN AND THE
PRIME MINISTER MIAN MUHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF, BOTH RESIGNED FROM
THEIR OFFICES ON JULY 18, 1993, ALONG WITH THE DISSOLUTION OF THE
CENTRAL AND PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES.

 MOIN QURESHI, A TOP WORLD BANK OFFICIAL, WAS APPOINTED AS THE

CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER AND GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN WAS APPOINTED AS
THE CARETAKER PRESIDENT.
 RESIGNATION OF PRIME MINISTER AND PRESIDENT
 BENAZIR BECAME PRIME MINISTER
 PRESIDENTAL ELECTIONS
 TRAIN MARCH AND WHEEL JAM STRIKE
 PAKISTAN VISIT BY FIRST U.S LADY
 PAKISTAN STSANCE ON F-16 FIGHTER JETS
 RELATIONSHIP OF PRIME MINISTER AND MQM
 PLANS FOR FORMER AND WOMEN
 DEASSISINATION OF MURTAZA BHUTTO
 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
 8TH 5-YEAR PLAN
 FOREIGN VISITS AND THE KASHMIR ISSUE
 KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA GOVERNMENT
 PRESIDENT FAROOQ LAGAHRI DISMISSED BENAZIR BHUTTO
 CARE-TAKER PRIME MINISTER
 BENAZIR BHUTTO RETURNED TO POWER FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 1993 AFTER
THE RESIGNATION OF BOTH PRESIDENT GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN AND PRIME
MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF ON JULY 18, 1993. THE RESIGNATION LED TO THE
ANNOUNCEMENT OF 8TH FRESH ELECTIONS FOR THE NATIONAL AND
PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES. THE ELECTIONS WERE HELD ON OCTOBER 6 AND 9,
1993, RESPECTIVELY.

 THE ELECTIONS WERE BOYCOTTED BY THE M. Q. M. NO PARTY EMERGED

WITH AN ABSOLUTE MAJORITY IN THE ELECTIONS. AS A RESULT THE P. P. P.
FORMED THE NEW GOVERNMENT WITH THE HELP OF ALLIANCES. BENAZIR
BHUTTO TOOK OATH AS PRIME MINISTER ON OCTOBER 19, 1993.
 INITIALLY, A NUMBER OF CANDIDATES FILED THEIR NOMINATION PAPERS.
HOWEVER, AS ELECTION DAY APPROACHED, THERE WERE ONLY TWO CANDIDATES
LEFT IN THE FIELD. THESE WERE THE ACTING PRESIDENT WASIM SAJJAD, A
NOMINEE OF THE P. M. L. (N), AND SARDAR FAROOQ LEGHARI, A NOMINEE OF THE
P. P. P. AS A RESULT OF VOTING, LEGHARI GOT 274 VOTES IN HIS FAVOR AGAINST 168
VOTES FOR WASIM SAJJAD. ON NOVEMBER 13, 1993, SARDAR FAROOQ LEGHARI
WAS APPOINTED AS THE PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN FOR A TERM OF FIVE YEARS.
 DIFFERENCES EMERGED BETWEEN BENAZIR AND LEGHARI, WHICH EVENTUALLY
RESULTED IN THE PRESIDENT USING THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT FOR THE
DISSOLUTION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, NOV 5,1996 AND THE DISMISSAL OF
BENAZIR
 DURING HER SECOND TENURE, BENAZIR AGAIN FACED TROUBLE FROM THE
OPPOSITION. IN THE AUTUMN OF 1994, NAWAZ SHARIF LED A "TRAIN
MARCH" FROM KARACHI TO PESHAWAR. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY GENERAL
STRIKE ON SEPTEMBER 20. TWO WEEKS LATER NAWAZ SHARIF CALLED A
"WHEEL JAM" STRIKE ON OCTOBER 11.

 THE SECOND TENURE OF BENAZIR BHUTTO WAS, HOWEVER, HIGHLIGHTED BY

THE VISIT OF THE U. S. FIRST LADY HILLARY CLINTON AND HER DAUGHTER
CHELSEA IN 1995. HILLARY'S VISIT CONSIDERABLY CHANGED THE WORLD'S
PERCEPTIONS ABOUT PAKISTAN AND HIGHLIGHTED PAKISTAN AS A LIBERAL,
MODERN AND FORWARD-LOOKING COUNTRY.
 IT ALSO HELPED IN ATTRACTING FOREIGN INVESTORS. ON THE DOMESTIC
FRONT SHE CONTINUED FACING PROBLEMS WITH M. Q. M. IN SPITE OF ALL
HER POLITICAL ENDEAVORS, A SMOOTH RELATIONSHIP COULD NOT BE
ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND M. Q. M.

 BENAZIR BHUTTO SET UP KISSAN BANK FOR PROVIDING LOANS TO

FARMERS AND LAUNCHED THE
 NATIONAL TRACTOR SCHEME. SOCIAL AND HEALTH POLICIES WERE
FRAMED FOR WOMEN. WOMEN
 POLICE STATIONS AND COURTS WERE SET UP FOR PROVIDING LEGAL
FACILITIES TO THIS CLASS.
 DURING BENAZIR BHUTTO’S SECOND TERM, CONSTRUCTION OF KARACHI
FLYOVER BRIDGE
 LAHORE BYPASS WAS STARTED.

 THE GOVERNMENT LAUNCHED THE EIGHTH 5-YEAR PLAN WHICH RESULTED IN

RAPID DEVELOPMENT
 AND PROSPERITY OF THE COUNTRY

 MRS. BHUTTO MADE SUCCESSFUL VISITS TO IRAN AND TURKEY. SHE GAINED MORAL
SUPPORT OF
 THESE COUNTRIES ON THE KASHMIR ISSUE. MANY AGREEMENTS OF COOPERATION IN
DIFFERENT
 FIELDS WERE SIGNED.
 THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHIEF MINISTER, PIR SABIR SHAH OF THE
MUSLIM LEAGUE
 ASSAMBLY WERE DISSOLVED IN 1994 IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA AND
AFTAB AHMAD SHERPAO OF THE PEOPLE’S PARTY WAS ELECTED AS CHIEF
MINISTER.

 DIFFERENCES SOON APPEARED AND THE GOVERNMENT FELT THAT THERE WAS
INTERFERENCE IN THE POLITICAL MATTERS OF THE GOVERNMENT BY THE
PRESIDENT. PRESIDENT FAROOQ LEGHARI DISMISSED BENAZIR BHUTTO'S
GOVERNMENT ON CHARGES OF CORRUPTION AND MISMANAGEMENT ON
NOVEMBER 5, 1996, UNDER THE ARTICLE 58(2) B OF THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT.
 PRESIDENT SARDAR FAROOQ LEGHARI, EXERCISING HIS POWERS THROUGH
THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT, DISMISSED BENAZIR BHUTTO'S GOVERNMENT IN
NOVEMBER 1996, ON CHARGES OF CORRUPTION AND EXTRA-JUDICIAL
KILLINGS. AFTER BENAZIR, MALIK MERAJ KHALID, RECTOR OF THE
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY, WAS APPOINTED AS CARETAKER
PRIME MINISTER. THE NEXT ELECTIONS WERE SCHEDULED TO BE HELD ON
FEBRUARY 3, 1997.
 MALIK MERAJ KHALID HELD THE OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER FROM
NOVEMBER 5, 1996, TO FEBRUARY 17, 1997.
 ELECTIONS IN 1997
 13TH AMENDMENT
 14TH AMENDMENT
 RESIGNATION OF PRESIDENT LAGHARI
 NEW PRESIDENT MUHAMMAD RAFIQ TARAR
 NUCLEAR TEST
 15TH AMENDMENT
 RESIGNATION OF GENERAL KARAMAT
 NEW ARMY CHIEF
 ‘RETIRE DEBT, ADORN THE COUNTRY’ SCHEME
 CENSUS OF 1998
 LAHORE DECLARATION
 LAHORE-ISLAMABAD MOTORWAY
 KARGIL OFFENSIVE
 TERMINATION OF P.M
 AS SCHEDULED, 9TH ELECTIONS WERE HELD ON FEBRUARY 3, 1997.
PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUE WON WITH AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY
WITH ABSOLUTELY LIGHT AND SLIGHT OPPOSITION. THE MUSLIM LEAGUE
WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN A TWO-THIRD MAJORITY IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
AND MIAN NAWAZ SHARIF WAS RE-ELECTED AS PRIME MINISTER.
 PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUE (N) WON 137 SEATS AND PPP WON 18 SEATS.
 NAWAZ SHARIF WAS CONFIRMED AS PRIME MINISTER BY THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY RECEIVING 177 VOTES AGAINST 16 FOR THE PPP
CANDIDATE AFTAB SHABAN MIRANI. HE TOOK OFFICE ON THE 18 FEBRUARY
WITH A NEW CABINET .
 THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED THE CONSTITUTION BILL, THE
THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT, IN APRIL 1,1997 BY A TWO-THIRD MAJORITY
 THE THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT EMPOWERING THE PRIME MINISTER TO REPEAL 58(2) B,
AND ADVISE THE PRESIDENT ON THE APPOINTMENTS OF THREE FORCES' CHIEFS, THE J.
C. S. C. CHAIRMAN AND THE GOVERNORS.
 THROUGH THE THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT THE CONTROVERSIAL EIGHTH AMENDMENT
WAS REPEALED AND THEREBY THE PRESIDENT WAS DIVESTED OF MANY
DISCRETIONARY POWER IN ORDER TO RESTORE THE SUPREMACY OF THE PARLIAMENT.
 ITS MOST NOTORIOUS AND TROUBLESOME PROVISION, 58(2) B, HAD EMPOWERED THE
PRESIDENT TO SACK THE PRIME MINISTER AND HIS CABINET AND DISSOLVE THE
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. THE PROVISION HAD SINCE BEEN USED BY THREE SUCCESSIVE
PRESIDENTS SINCE 1985, AND FOUR PRIME MINISTERS, ALONG WITH THEIR CABINETS
AND THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES, HAD BEEN DISMISSED.

 HAVING ANNOUNCED THE THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT, NAWAZ SHARIF SAID THAT IT HAD
BEEN INTRODUCED TO REVIVE THE DEMOCRATIC CONCEPT, AS ENVISAGED BY THE
QUAID-I-AZAM AND ALLAMA IQBAL.
 THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF PAKISTAN
WAS AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF PAKISTAN PASSED IN JULY
1,1997, DURING THE GOVERNMENT OF PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF,
LEADER OF THE PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUE PARTY. IT
SUBJECTED MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT TO VERY STRICT PARTY DISCIPLINE.
PARTY LEADERS RECEIVED UNLIMITED POWER TO DISMISS ANY OF THEIR
LEGISLATORS FROM PARLIAMENT IF THEY SPOKE OR VOTED AGAINST
THEIR PARTY.

 NAWAZ SHARIF FACED A SERIOUS CONFRONTATION WITH THE JUDICIARY AND THE
EXECUTIVE, WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO THE RESIGNATION OF PRESIDENT
LEGHARI ON DECEMBER 2, 1997.
 MUHAMMAD RAFIQ TARAR, A FORMER JUDGE OF THE SUPREME COURT AND A
SENATOR, WAS ELECTED AS THE NINTH PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN. HE TOOK OATH
TO HIS OFFICE ON JANUARY 1, 1998.
THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT HAD BECOME VACANT AFTER THE RESIGNATION
OF PRESIDENT LEGHARI ON DECEMBER 2, 1997. THE PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUE
HAD A TWO-THIRD MAJORITY IN THE PARLIAMENT AND SOME PROVINCIAL
ASSEMBLIES AND THEREFORE WAS IN A POSITION TO HAVE ITS CANDIDATE
ELECTED AS THE HEAD OF STATE. THE NAWAZ GOVERNMENT NOMINATED
MUHAMMAD RAFIQ TARAR, A 68-YEAR OLD FORMER JUDGE OF THE SUPREME
COURT AND A SENATOR, AS THEIR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.
 MUHAMMAD RAFIQ TARAR WAS COMFORTABLY ELECTED PRESIDENT BY
SECURING 374 OUT OF 457 VOTES OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

 THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT BILL TO THE CONSTITUTION WAS PASSED

BY NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF PAKISTAN ON 28 AUGUST 1998. IT WAS THEN MOVED
TO THE SENATE WHERE IT WAS NEVER PASSED.
 THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS INCLUDED ADDITION OF A NEW ARTICLE 2B IN
THE CONSTITUTION AND AMENDMENT IN ARTICLE 239 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF
PAKISTAN. IT ALSO SOUGHT TO IMPOSE SHARIA LAW AS SUPREME LAW
IN PAKISTAN IN LIGHT OF THE OBJECTIVE RESOLUTION OF PAKISTAN IN
ADDITION TO THE QURAN AND SUNNAH AS IS IN THE CONSTITUTION OF
PAKISTAN TILL TODAY.
 ON MAY 28, 1998, PAKISTAN BECAME A NUCLEAR POWER WHEN IT
SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED OUT FIVE NUCLEAR TESTS AT CHAGHI, IN THE
PROVINCE OF BALUCHISTAN. THIS WAS IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO FIVE
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS BY INDIA, JUST TWO WEEKS EARLIER.
WIDELY CRITICIZED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, PAKISTAN
MAINTAINS THAT ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM IS FOR SELF-DEFENSE, AS
DETERRENCE AGAINST NUCLEAR INDIA.
 INDIA HAD ALREADY POSED A NUCLEAR THREAT AGAINST PAKISTAN EVER
SINCE IT TESTED A NUCLEAR DEVICE IN MAY 1974. AT THAT TIME PAKISTAN
HAD NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS. INDIA MAINTAINED THAT ITS NUCLEAR
PROGRAM WAS BASED ON THEIR REQUIREMENT TO HAVE A MINIMUM
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE, AND THAT IT WAS NOT AGAINST ANY SPECIFIC
COUNTRY.
 THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT WAS PRESUMED TO BE AN EFFORT BY NAWAZ
SHARIF TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL POWERS FOR HIMSELF. SOON A SERIOUS
CONFLICT AND CONFRONTATION EMERGED ON THE SCENE BETWEEN HIM AND
THE MILITARY GENERALS. THIS CONFRONTATION LED TO THE RESIGNATION OF
GENERAL JEHANGIR KARAMAT ON OCTOBER 7, 1998.

GENERAL KARAMAT WAS REPLACED BY GENERAL PERVEZ MUSHARRAF.

 ECONOMIC CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY WAS NOT IMPROVING AND THE
GOVERNMENT HAD TO TAKE LOANS FROM THE IMF FOR ITS BUDGET. NAWAZ
SHARIF STARTED A SCHEME CALLED ‘RETIRE DEBT, ADORN THE COUNTRY’ AND
APPEALED TO THE NATION TO PAY OFF THE FOREIGN LOANS. THE NATION
WELCOMED THIS SCHEME AND ABOUT 17 BILLION RUPEES WERE COLLECTED
TILL JUNE 1999 IN THIS HEAD.

THE CENSUS OF THE PEOPLE WAS CONDUCTED IN 1998. THE POPULATION OF THE
COUNTRY REACHED OVER 13 CRORES ACCORDING TO THIS CENSUS.
 IN ORDER TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN, NAWAZ
SHARIF UNDERTOOK A MAJOR INITIATIVE IN FEBRUARY 1999. THIS INITIATIVE
CULMINATED IN A VISIT BY THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE
TO LAHORE VIA BUS, ACROSS THE WAGAH BORDER, IN 1999. NAWAZ SHARIF MET
HIM AT THE WAGAH BORDER AND A JOINT COMMUNIQUE, KNOWN AS THE
"LAHORE DECLARATION", WAS SIGNED BETWEEN THE TWO LEADERS.
 THIS DECLARATION SPELLED OUT VARIOUS STEPS TO BE TAKEN BY THE TWO
COUNTRIES TOWARDS NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THEM. EXCEPT
FOR THE JAMAAT-I-ISLAMI, THE VISIT WAS NOT OPPOSED BY ANY POLITICAL OR
SOCIAL ELEMENT IN PAKISTAN. THE PAKISTANI PEOPLE WELCOMED THIS MOVE
BY THE NAWAZ GOVERNMENT TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH INDIA.
 IN 1999, A WAR BROKE OUT BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN ON KARGIL.
LATER, ON INTERVENTION OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, BILL CLINTON,
BOTH COUNTRIES DECLARED CEASEFIRE.
 ON OCTOBER 12, 1999, THE PAKISTAN ARMY ONCE AGAIN OUSTED THE
CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT. AT THAT TIME PRIME MINISTER MIAN MUHAMMAD
NAWAZ SHARIF HEADED THE GOVERNMENT. THE COUP IMMEDIATELY
FOLLOWED THE PREMIER’S ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE ARMY CHIEF WHILE
HE WAS ON A TOUR TO SRI LANKA. AFTER TWO DAYS OF CHILLING
UNCERTAINTY, CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF GENERAL PERVEZ MUSHARRAF
ASSUMED THE TITLE OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE.