Order Code RS21584
Updated June 22, 2005
CRS Report for Congress
.Received through the CRS Web
Pakistan: Chronology of Recent Events
K. Alan Kronstadt
Analyst in Asian Affairs
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Summary
This report provides a reverse chronology of recent events involving Pakistan and
Pakistan-U.S. relations. Sources include, but are not limited to, the U.S. Department of
State, New York Times, Washington Post, Dawn (Karachi), Daily Times (Lahore), News
International (Karachi), and major newswires. For a substantive review, see CRS Issue
Brief IB94041, Pakistan-U.S. Relations. This report will be updated regularly.
06/21/05 –– President Bush telephoned
Acronyms:
President Musharraf to discuss
LOC:
Line of Control (Kashmir)
tensions between Pakistan and
MMA: Muttahida
Majlis-e-Amal
Afghanistan after Afghan
PPP: Pakistan People’s Party
P r e s i d e n t K a r z a i a s k e d
Musharraf to halt the infiltration
of insurgents across the Afghan-Pakistan border. Some senior Afghan
leaders have said top Taliban leaders are in Pakistan. On the same day,
the United States and Pakistan began a week-long joint naval exercise in
the Arabia Sea. Also, India’s prime minister accused Pakistan of violating
a bilateral agreement by allowing a groups of Kashmiri separatist leaders
to travel to Islamabad. Pakistan later denied any violation. Finally, a State
Department spokesman confirmed that Pakistani officials had taken away
the passport of gang rape victim Mukhtaran Mai, but insisted that
Pakistani officials will allow Mai to travel abroad if she so desired.
06/20/05 –– Afghan authorities reported arresting three Pakistani nationals minutes
before they planned to kill Afghan President Karzai in Kabul.
06/19/05 –– Director of Central Intelligence Goss told an interviewer that he had
“an excellent idea of where [Osama bin Laden] is” while suggesting
that “dealing with sanctuaries in sovereign states” presented a problem.
06/18/05 –– Muslim clerics and “thousands” of Taliban in South Waziristan reportedly
marked the first anniversary of militant leader Nek Mohammed’s death by
vowing to continue their jihad against America.
06/17/05 –– President Musharraf reportedly said he had imposed travel restrictions on
gang rape victim Mukhtaran Mai to protect Pakistan’s image from
Western nongovernmental organizations which are “as bad as the Islamic
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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extremists.” On the same day, A.Q. Khan, the Pakistani metallurgist
implicated in running a global proliferation network, was diagnosed in
stable condition after suffering a heart problem.
06/16/05 –– Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Khalilzad said that Osama
bin Laden and Taliban chief Mullah Omar were not in Afghanistan.
Islamabad rejected suggestions that Omar was in Pakistan. On the same
day, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Rademaker reportedly
said“it would be a mistake to proceed with this [Iran-Pakistan-India gas]
pipeline” as it would generate revenue that Iran would use “for funding its
weapons of mass destruction program and for supporting terrorist
activities.” Also, three Sunni Muslim activists were found murdered in
Karachi in what was believed to be a case of local political violence.
06/15/05 –– Addressing the case of gang rape victim Mukhtaran Mai, a State
Department spokesman said, “The United States expects Pakistan’s
leaders to honor their pledge to protect the basic human rights of their
citizens, including freedom to travel.” Islamabad said Mai had been
removed from the Exit Control List and was free to travel abroad. A New
York Times editorial criticized President Musharraf for his government’s
handling of the case, which BBC News later called “a public relations
disaster” and a leading Pakistani commentator called “a monumental
blunder.” On the same day, a leading Kashmiri separatist, a former
Pakistani army chief, and the PPP made separate accusations that
Pakistani Information Minister Rashid operated a training camp for
Kashmiri separatist militants during the 1980s. New Delhi later
informed Islamabad that Rashid would not be allowed to travel across the
Kashmiri LOC due to the allegations. Rashid said the move would “set
back” the peace process. Also, a senior fugitive Taliban leader
appeared on Pakistani television to claim that Osama bin Laden and
Taliban chief Mullah Omar were both alive and in good health.
06/14/05 –– During a House International Relations Committee hearing on the
United States and South Asia, Assistant Secretary of State for South
Asia Christina Rocca said that Pakistan is set “on the path of becoming a
moderate, prosperous and democratic state,” adding that Islamabad is
cooperating with international efforts to dismantle the A.Q. Khan nuclear
proliferation network and that the United States expects Pakistan‘s 2005
local and 2007 national elections to be free and fair. She also expressed
dismay at travel restrictions placed on gang rape victim Mukhtaran Mai.
Several Members in attendance spoke against a U.S. policy of selling
combat aircraft to South Asian countries, and expressed concerns about
the state of democracy in Pakistan and about the nuclear proliferation
network of A.Q. Khan. One expert witness warned about Pakistan’s
“dysfunctional social order, its dangerous sectarianism and its distorted
political system,” saying the country had achieved “sustainable failure.”
All three witnesses endorsed resumed U.S. sales of F-16 fighters to
Pakistan. On the same day, President Musharraf visited Canberra, where
Pakistan and Australia agreed to bolster bilateral counterterrorism efforts.
06/10/05 –– A court ordered the release of 12 men imprisoned in connection with the
2002 gang rape of Mukhtaran Mai. Mai later complained that the
government was preventing her from moving freely or leaving the country
to accept an invitation to visit the United States.

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06/09/05 –– During a visit to Washington, Foreign Minister Kasuri suggested that
Pakistan could claim more successes in combating terrorism than any
other country, but he emphasized that military means alone will not end
the problem and opined that the “sense of deprivation will have to be
tackled.” On the same day, Secretary of State Rice told an interviewer that
“Pakistan has to make inroads on democracy.” Also, during a visit to
Pakistan, moderate Indian Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer
Farooq urged interested parties to “move beyond” UN resolutions that call
for a plebiscite in the disputed region.
06/06/05 –– Pakistan’s annual federal budget allocated a total of $18.4 billion,
including $4.6 billion for public sector development (up 35% over the
previous year) and $3.7 billion for defense (up 15% over the previous
year). Opposition parties and some analysts called increased defense
spending unnecessary and claimed the budget will further impoverish the
poor. On the same day, a Pakistan-American and his father were
arrested in California on charges of lying to FBI agents about their
alleged involvement in terrorist training in Pakistan. Prime Minister Aziz
later denied that there were any terrorist training camps in Pakistan.
06/05/05 –– President Musharraf visited Doha, where Pakistan and Qatar agreed to
expedite initial work on a proposed gas pipeline linking the two countries.
06/03/05 –– The U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report
said that “Pakistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for
the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to
do so,” and it removed Pakistan from the “Tier 2Watch List” in
recognition of progress.
06/02/05 –– Leaders of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference of
Kashmiri separatist groups began an unprecedented visit to Pakistan.
On the same day, talks between Pakistani and Indian officials to resolve
a dispute over India’s Kishanganga dam project ended in deadlock.
06/01/05 –– Prime Minister Aziz visited Ankara, where Pakistan and Turkey agreed to
increase defense trade and cooperation.
05/31/05 –– President Musharraf said that captured Al Qaeda suspect Abu Faraj al-
Libbi had been remanded to U.S. custody. On the same day, Indian
opposition leader and former Deputy PM Lal Advani met with top
Pakistani officials in Islamabad where he declared that there was “broad
consensus” on the peace process in India.
05/30/05 –– Suicide bombers killed themselves and at least two other people, and
injured 20 more, in an apparent sectarian attack on a Shiite mosque in
Karachi. An enraged crowd of some 1,000 Shias rioted, killing at least six
more people. On the same day, India’s prime minister said, “Not
enough has been done [by Pakistan] to dismantle the infrastructure
of terrorism, which is still intact.” Also, gunmen shot and killed a
senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party in Karachi.
05/29/05 –– Talks between Pakistani and Indian officials seeking to resolve a
territorial dispute over the Sir Creek ended in deadlock. On the same
day, suspected militants shot and killed a key tribal ally of the government
in South Waziristan.
05/28/05 –– President Musharraf told an interviewer that Osama bin Laden is alive and
“probably in the [Pakistan-Afghanistan] border belt.”

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05/27/05 –– A suicide bomber killed 20 people and injured up to 100 more in an
apparent sectarian attack on a Muslim shrine in Islamabad. On the same
day, talks between Pakistani and Indian officials seeking to resolve a
militarized dispute over the Siachen Glacier ended in deadlock.
05/25/05 –– Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca met with top
Pakistani officials in Islamabad. On the same day, the International
Atomic Energy Agency confirmed it had received centrifuge parts and
uranium samples from Pakistan. Also, the director of the U.S. Defense
Security Cooperation Agency reportedly said that Pakistan was seeking to
purchase 75 new F-16C/D fighters from the United States. Finally,
London-based Amnesty International’s annual report was critical f the
Islamabad government for numerous alleged human rights violations.
05/24/05 –– A bomb exploded at the home of a tribal leader in South Waziristan,
killing two women and four children.
05/22/05 — Rockets fired by a U.S. helicopter reportedly killed five Pakistanis in
a North Waziristan town one kilometer from the Afghan border.
05/19/05 — Two U.S. citizens of Pakistani origin claimed that they had been detained
in Pakistan for nine months, and were beaten by Pakistani agents and
interrogated by F.B.I. agents before being released without charges.
05/17/05 — Information Minister Rashid said that President Musharraf “will continue
as president after 2007.” Opposition parties condemned the
announcement as evidence of “dictatorial designs.” Musharraf himself
later called the announcement a “personal opinion, not my own.”
05/16/05 — A U.S. Army colonel said that insurgents continue to cross into
Afghanistan to attack U.S.-led forces there before returning to Pakistan.
05/15/05 — President Musharraf claimed that Pakistan had “broken [Al Qaeda’s]
back” with recent arrests.
05/14/05 — Press reports claimed that a U.S. Predator drone had fired a missile on
Pakistani territory, killing suspected Al Qaeda explosives expert Haithem
al-Yemeni. Pakistan denied the reports. On the same day, police in
Lahore used force to disperse a group of human rights activists who had
staged a “mixed marathon” including men and women. A former
chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan was among
those “brutally dragged” into police vans and detained for several hours.
Also, a journalist working for Reuters was shot and injured by
unidentified gunmen in a tribal area near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
05/13/05 — Pakistan’s National Assembly passed a resolution condemning the alleged
desecration of a Koran at the U.S. facility at Guantanamo Bay.
05/11/05 — An emergency supplemental appropriations bill became P.L. 109-13. The
bill allows that up to $1.22 billion in Pentagon funds be used to reimburse
Pakistan and other key cooperating nations for their support of U.S.
military operations. On the same day, the U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom released an annual report which claimed
that, “The response of the government of Pakistan to persistent and
religiously motivated violence in Pakistan continues to be inadequate.”
05/10/05 — After consulting with the Indian and Pakistani governments, the World
Bank named a Swiss engineer to serve as Neutral Expert to address the
dispute over a dam India is constructing on the Chenab River in Baghliar,
Kashmir. On the same day, the Islamabad government expressed “serious

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concern” to U.S. officials about allegations that a copy of the Koran had
been desecrated at the U.S. facility at Guantanamo Bay. Also, tribal
leaders in the southwestern Baluchistan province said that “peace has
collapsed” there due to alleged central government malfeasance. Finally,
U.S. and Pakistani officials met in Islamabad for three days of negotiation
on a Bilateral Investment Treaty.
05/09/05 — A Newsweek magazine report alleging that a copy of the Koran had been
desecrated at the U.S. facility at Guantanamo Bay allegedly spurred four
days of violent anti-U.S. protests in both Afghanistan and Pakistan,
although senior U.S. and Afghan officials later disputed the connection.
On the same day, Pakistan’s National Assembly passed a resolution
condemning the publication of a “derogatory” cartoon about Pakistan in
the Washington Times. Also, police in the southern Sindh province
reportedly arrested five members of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi terrorist group
wanted in connection with sectarian attacks that left 15 Shiites dead in
2003. Finally, a senior Pakistani air force officer said that Pakistan and
China had agreed to begin co-production of at least 400 new JF-17
“Thunder” fighter aircraft.
05/08/05 — Information provided by captured militant Abu Faraj al-Libbi reportedly
led to the arrest of six suspected Al Qaeda members.
05/06/05 — The Pentagon notified Congress of two possible Foreign Military
Sales to Pakistan worth up to $226 million. The deals involve 300
Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and 60 Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
05/04/05 — The Islamabad government announced having captured Abu Faraj
al-Libbi, a Libyan native wanted in connection with lethal attempts to
assassinate President Musharraf in December 2003. Libbi, captured in the
northwestern city of Mardan, was described by some terrorism analysts as
being the third-most senior Al Qaeda operative.
05/03/05 — Police in Islamabad and Lahore used batons to break up gatherings of
journalists marking World Press Freedom Day, injuring nine and detaining
30 more. The arrests came hours after Pakistan’s information minister
told a seminar that the media was free in Pakistan.
05/02/05 — The Commander of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. Abizaid, visited
Islamabad for consultations on regional security.
04/28/05 — A powerful bomb exploded in a remote area of northwestern Pakistan,
killing two suspected Islamic militants.
04/27/05 — The U.S. State Department released its Country Reports on Terrorism
2004, which called Pakistan one of the most important U.S. partners in the
war on terrorism and said Pakistan in 2004 achieved notable gains in
efforts to combat terrorism.
04/26/05 — The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Barno, said that
the United States was training Pakistani special forces soldiers in night
flying and airborne assault tactics.
04/21/05 — Hundreds of Pakistani troops reportedly launched search operations for
foreign militants in North Waziristan near the Afghan border.
04/19/05 — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on “Combating
Terrorism With Education,” focused on the Middle East and South Asia.
04/18/05 — Following meetings between President Musharraf and Indian PM Singh,
Pakistan and India released a joint statement calling their bilateral
peace process “irreversible.”

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04/17/05 — India released 156 Pakistani fishermen who had been held for illegal
fishing in India’s territorial waters.
04/16/05 — President Musharraf arrived in India bearing a “message of peace” and
declaring his visit “very historic.”
04/15/05 — In an effort to block a rally planned to welcome the return to Lahore of
Asif Zardari, the husband of former PM Benazir Bhutto, police arrested
thousands of activists of the opposition PPP and some senior party
leaders, and blocked travel routes around the city.
04/13/05 — Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld met with President Musharraf in
Islamabad for talks on counterterrorism and other issues.
04/12/05 — H.R. 1553, to prohibit the provision of military equipment to Pakistan,
was introduced in the House.
04/08/05 — A U.S. federal indictment against Pakistani businessman Humayan
Khan alleged that he violated U.S. laws by clandestinely purchasing U.S.-
made high technology components then shipping them through South
Africa for use in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program. Khan’s alleged
partner, Asher Karni, an Israeli living in South Africa, has already pleaded
guilty for his role. A Pakistani official called the charges baseless.
04/07/05 — A new bus service was launched linking Muzaffarabad in Pakistani
Kashmir and Srinagar in Indian Kashmir. The service is a major
confidence-building measure that allows separated Kashmiri families to
reunite for the first time since 1947.
04/05/05 — Chinese PM Wen Jiabao visited Islamabad, where Pakistan and China
signed 22 pacts meant to bolster bilateral cooperation in numerous areas.
04/04/05 — The Defense Ministry announced that Pakistan had signed an agreement
to purchase new four naval frigates from China.
04/01/05 — A nationwide strike organized by the Islamist MMA coalition resulted in
police arresting up to 2,000 protestors in both Lahore and Karachi.
On the same day, a prominent Shia scholar was shot and killed in Lahore
in a suspected sectarian attack.
03/29/05 — Foreign Minister Kasuri said that Pakistan was sending “old and useless
parts of outdated centrifuges” to international investigators looking
into Iran’s nuclear program.
03/25/05 — The United States announced that it would resume sales of F-16
fighters to Pakistan.
03/23/05 — Twenty Members of the House wrote a letter to President Bush urging
him to block the sale of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan as such a sale would
“undermine our long-term strategic interests in South Asia” and “squander
an opportunity” to continue building positive relations with India. On the
same day, in a Lahore rally organized by the Islamist MMA, thousands
of Pakistanis took to the streets in protest against the government of
President Musharraf.

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