From 1947-1997
To Look Back in Time:
Moving your mouse over a date on the timeline to the right will display related images of Pakistan's key events.
For more details about Pakistan's history scroll thru the historical review to the far right.
1947: Pakistan is born; Muhammad Ali Jinnah becomes governor-general of the new nation; Liaquat Ali Khan becomes Prime Minister 1948: Jinnah dies; Khwaja Nazimuddin becomes governor-general 1951: Liaquat assassinated; Nazimuddin becomes Prime Minister 1955: Governor-General Ghulam Mohammad resigns, succeeded by Iskander Mirza 1956 Constitution adopted; Mirza becomes president 1958 Mirza abrogates Constitution, declares martial law; Mirza sent into exile; General Mohammad Ayub Khan assumes presidency 1965 Second war between India and Pakistan over Kashmir 1969: Martial law declared; Ayub Khan resigns; General Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan assumes presidency 1970 First general elections; Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Awami League secures absolute majority in new National Assembly; West Pakistan-dominated government declines to convene assembly 1971 East Pakistan attempts to secede; civil war begins; Bangladesh declares itself independent issued; India intervenes on behalf of Bengali separatists; Pakistani military surrenders to Indian armed forces; Yahya Khan resigns; Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto becomes president of Pakistan 1972: Bhutto and India's prime minister Indira Gandhi sign Simla agreement which adjusts cease-fire line between the two countries and creates new Line of Control 1973: New constitution goes into effect; Bhutto becomes prime minister 1976: Diplomatic ties established between Pakistan and Bangladesh 1977: General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq proclaims martial law 1978: Zia becomes Pakistan's sixth president 1979 Islamic penal code introduced; Bhutto hanged 1983: Zia announces that martial law will be lifted, says army will retain key role in future governments 1985: General elections held 1988: Zia dismisses Prime Minister Mohammmad Khan Junejo's government, orders new elections; Zia killed in mysterious place crash; investigation concludes that his death was caused by "criminal act of sabotage;" elections held; Benazir Bhutto sworn in as first woman prime minister of a Muslim nation 1990: National elections see Benazir Bhutto's PPP losing to coalition of rightist parties; Nawaz Sharif elected prime minister 1993: President Ishaq Khan dismisses Sharif's government, citing corruption; elections held; Benazir Bhutto's government wins slim margin; Benazir becomes prime minister 1996: President Farooq Leghari dismisses Benazir Bhutto; accuses her government of corruption and nepotism 1997: National elections held; Sharif comes to power again