to be a mirage at times. Equally enigmatic are the
actions and designs of the general turned
president at the helm of Pakistan's affairs.
dismisses Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad
Chaudhry over serious allegations including abuse
of power.
Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry abandons Karachi
rally after clashes leave 30 dead.
reinstated after being suspended from his position
for four months and 10 days.
resign as army chief and appears to be sharing a
pact with former premier Benazir Bhutto
Sharif is arrested and deported to Saudi Arabia,
four hours after his return from exile.
election for another five-year term.
Bhutto makes a tearful return to Pakistan after
eight years of self-imposed exile. Two major
explosions hit the convoy of Benazir Bhutto,
killing more than 115 people and injuring at least
200 in Karachi.
emergency rule and suspends the country's
constitution.
Imran Khan is arrested and charged under anti-
terrorism laws.
announces January 8 as the date for parliamentary
elections.
dismisses the last challenge to Pervez Musharraf's
re-election in uniform, paving the way for him to be
sworn in for a second term as the president of
Pakistan.
November 25: Former Pakistani prime minister
Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan after seven years
exile in Saudi Arabia.
judges including Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry,
the former chief justice, who refused to approve
President Pervez Musharraf's emergency power.
lifts the 41 day emergency rule after making
amendments to six articles.
She waited eight years to go back to Pakistan in an
alleged power-sharing deal with the military ruler,
signed and sealed by the US. As head of a party that
is more about people at the grassroots level, she
was hailed as the hope who might deliver Pakistan
into a more modern and democratic environment,
despite corruption cases still pending against her.
was grooming her son Bilawal, Benazir became
prime minister of Pakistan for the first time in 1988
but was removed from office 20 months later, on
alleged corruption charges. She returned in 1993, to
fall prey again to similar charges in 1996. There
were those disillusioned by her over the years but
as the decade turned, the strident politician slowly
evolved into a voice for dialogue.
politician, Benazir spoke about the need for a joint
solution to the Kashmir conflict between India and
Pakistan. She was also a vocal proponent against
terrorism, a reason for America choosing her as
their golden bid. With her death, there is a strong
leadership gap in Pakistan's transition from military
rule to democracy.