Order Code RS21584
Updated March 2, 2006
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 chronology of recent events involving Pakistan and Pakistan-
U.S. relations. Sources include, but are not limited to, major newswires, the U.S.
Department of State, and Pakistani news outlets. For a substantive review, see CRS
Issue Brief IB94041, Pakistan-U.S. Relations. This report will be updated regularly.
03/02/06 —
A car bomb exploded outside
Acronyms:
the U.S. Consulate in Karachi,
MMA:
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
killing at least five people,
PML:
Pakistan Muslim League
including an American diplomat.
The attack, which may be linked
to Al Qaeda-allied terrorists, came just two days before President Bush
was slated to visit Pakistan. President Bush said the terrorist attack would
not alter his travel plans.
03/01/06 — Pakistani soldiers and helicopter gunships attacked a suspected Al
Qaeda camp in North Waziristan near the Afghan border, killing up to
30 militants and spurring anti-U.S. outrage among some local residents.
02/28/06 — President Bush began a four-day visit to South Asia. On the same day,
testifying on worldwide threats, Defense Intelligence Agency Director
Maples told a Senate panel that Pakistan and India “continue modernizing
their nuclear weapons stockpiles” and “maintain aggressive ballistic
missile programs.”
02/27/06 — President Musharraf told an interviewer that Pakistan was doing
everything possible to combat terrorism, and he expressed certainty that
ousted Taliban leader Mullah Omar was not in Pakistan. On the same day,
secular and Islamist opposition parties resolved to launch a “final and
decisive” campaign to oust Musharraf.
02/26/06 — Some 25,000 people in Karachi protested the publication of blasphemous
cartoons in European newspapers. A smaller protest was thwarted in
Lahore, where police detained several hundred Islamic activists.
02/25/06 — New York-based Human Rights Watch urged President Bush to press for
restoration of civilian rule in Islamabad during his upcoming trip.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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02/24/06 — In an interview on Indian television, President Bush said that while in
Islamabad he would “talk about the terrorist activities” and “the need to
dismantle terrorist training camps,” among other issues.
02/23/06 — Meeting with Pakistani journalists, President Bush praised President
Musharraf for his courage and commitment to fighting Islamic
radicalism, while also insisting that the U.S. commitment to the people of
Pakistan is “genuine, real, [and] tangible.”
02/22/06 — In a major speech, President Bush lauded close U.S. relations with
Pakistan, identifying it as a “key ally in the war on terror” and saying the
United States wants to “build a broad and lasting strategic partnership
with the people of Pakistan.” The President called Pakistan’s scheduled
2007 elections “an important test of Pakistan’s commitment to democratic
reform, and the Islamabad government must ensure that these elections are
open and free and fair.” He later vowed to encourage Pakistani and Indian
leaders to address the “important issue” of Kashmir, where the United
States supports a resolution that is acceptable to “all sides,” including the
Pakistanis, the Indians, and the “citizens of Kashmir.” On the same day,
two Pakistani soldiers were killed and four injured when their convoy was
ambushed by suspected separatist militants in Baluchistan.
02/21/06 — A Karachi antiterrorist court sentenced 11 men to death for their roles in
a failed June 2004 attack on a senior Pakistani general that left 10 people
dead. On the same day, several thousand tribesmen gathered in South
Waziristan to protest the publication of blasphemous cartoons.
02/20/06 — Prime Minister Aziz said that the publication in European newspapers of
cartoons deemed offensive to Muslims was an attempt to promote a clash
of civilizations. On the same day, two Uzbeks and a Pashtun tribesman
were reported killed in fighting in North Waziristan.
02/19/06 — President Musharraf began a five-day visit to China to discuss
counterterrorism, trade, and technical assistance with top Chinese leaders.
On the same day, Pakistan test-fired a nuclear-capable Hatf II short-range
ballistic missile. Also, MMA leader Qazi Hussein was placed under
house arrest, and police in Islamabad used teargas to disperse hundreds of
demonstrators who defied a government ban on public protests.
02/18/06 — The “Thar Express” railroad linking Sindh with India’s Rajasthan
state was resumed after more than four decades in suspension.
02/17/06 — The Danish Embassy in Islamabad was closed over security concerns as
thousands of protestors continued marching in Pakistani cities and police
detained more than 100 Islamic activists, including the founder of the
Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group.
02/16/06 — Secretary of State Rice told a House panel that the Bush Administration
has “pressed the Pakistanis” to hold free and fair elections in 2007. On
the same day, Afghanistan presented Pakistan with a list of 150 Taliban
militants said to be living in Pakistan. Also, Pakistan’s ruling party
condemned the publication of blasphemous cartoons as part of a
“vilification campaign” against Islam. Finally, up to 50,000 protestors
angered by the cartoons marched in Karachi.
02/15/06 — Afghan President Karzai arrived in Islamabad for a three-day visit
focused on bolstering security along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and
Afghan officials reported that recent suicide bombings in Afghanistan
appear to have been orchestrated by Taliban fugitives operating out of

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Pakistan. On the same day, apparent Baloch separatist militants shot and
killed three Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver in
Baluchistan. Also, violent protests over blasphemous cartoons continued
in Pakistani cities, leaving at least three people dead.
02/14/06 — Anger over the publication in European newspapers of cartoons deemed
offensive to Muslims led to violent protests in Islamabad and Lahore,
where two people were killed.
02/13/06 — U.S. Navy engineers in Pakistan turned over $2.5 million worth of
construction equipment to their Pakistani counterparts. On the same day,
more than 10,000 protestors gathered in Islamabad to condemn the
publication in European newspapers of cartoons deemed offensive to
Muslims. Also, unidentified gunmen in Lahore shot and killed an elderly
Pakistani doctor suspected of ties with Al Qaeda. The shooting spurred
a protest by some 500 people chanting anti-American slogans.
02/12/06 — Afghan police reportedly seized 700 homemade bombs as they were being
smuggled across the border from Pakistan.
02/11/06 — Two Pakistani women were reported killed and four children injured by
rockets fired by U.S. forces just across the border in Afghanistan. On the
same day, President Musharraf said he was “95% sure” that “some foreign
terrorists” were killed in a 1/13 missile attack near the Afghan border.
02/10/06 — The State Department’s Bureau of South Asian Affairs was
reorganized to include official responsibility for U.S. diplomatic relations
with Afghanistan and the five Central Asian states, and will now be called
the Bureau for South and Central Asian Affairs. On the same day,
landmine explosions killed two women and an infant in Baluchistan.
Also, London-based Amnesty International urged investigations into
allegations of serious human rights violations in Baluchistan.
02/09/06 — A suicide bomber killed at least 23 Shia Muslims taking part in a
religious procession, and at least 8 more people were killed and hundreds
injured in ensuing sectarian riots 125 miles southwest of Islamabad.
02/08/06 — President Bush exercised his authority to waive coup-related
sanctions on Pakistan for FY2006, finding that such a waiver would
facilitate the transition to democratic rule in Pakistan and is important to
U.S. efforts to combat terrorism.
02/07/06 — Some 5,000 people marched in Peshawar in protest over the publication
in European newspapers of cartoons deemed offensive to Muslims.
02/05/06 — A bomb exploded on a bus in Quetta, killing at least 13 people and
injuring 20 others. Police later arrested 11 Baloch tribesmen in
connection with the attack. On the same day, six people were killed and
at least a dozen others, including women and children, were wounded in
a missile attack in Sui, Baluchistan.
02/04/06 — Fierce fighting between Afghan security forces and Islamic militants in
eastern Afghanistan spread across the border, leaving at least three
Pakistani soldiers dead in South Waziristan.
02/03/06 — President Musharraf condemned “in the strongest terms” the publication
in European newspapers of cartoons deemed offensive to Muslims.
The Pakistani Senate passed unanimously a resolution denouncing the
publication, calling it part of a “vicious, outrageous, and provocative
campaign” against Islam. Hundreds of Islamic activists marched in

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protest in Pakistani cities. A State Department spokesman said the U.S.
government. found the images “offensive” while characterizing the issue
as a matter of press freedom.
02/02/06 — Director of Intelligence Negroponte told a Senate panel that Pakistan’s
commitment to counterterrorism efforts has enabled some key Al Qaeda
captures, but that Pakistan “remains a major source of extremism that
poses a threat to [President] Musharraf, to the United States, and to
neighboring India and Afghanistan.” He also said Musharraf has made
“only limited progress” in democratization efforts. On the same day,
Saudi King Abdullah visited Islamabad, where Pakistan and Saudi
Arabia signed five agreements meant to enhance diplomatic,
educational, and trade interactions.
01/31/06 — Pakistan and India signed an agreement to relaunch a cross-border
train service that was halted in 1965.
01/30/06 — Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Patterson visited Islamabad for meetings with top
Pakistani leaders. On the same day, a new video of Al Qaeda leader
Ayman al-Zawahri surfaced, demonstrating that he had not been killed
in the 1/13 Bajaur attack. Also, two Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were
killed by an improvised explosive device in North Waziristan.
01/29/06 — President Musharraf told an interviewer that the 1/13 Bajaur attack “was
definitely not coordinated with us [Pakistan]” and called the strike “a
violation of our sovereignty.” Musharraf also claimed that Pakistan-India
relations “have never been as good as they are today,” but he expressed
disappointment that dispute resolution was not moving forward, especially
with regard to Kashmir. On the same day, exiled former Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif accused Musharraf of failing democracy and “degrading
Pakistan’s name across the world.”
01/27/06 — The Senate passed S.Res. 356, commending earthquake relief and
recovery efforts, and urging the U.S. government to take the lead in
encouraging continued efforts. On the same day, police in Lahore arrested
several hundred Islamic activists who were protesting against a planned
mixed-gender marathon there. The marathon later took place peacefully,
although 2,000 women reportedly withdrew due to fears of violence.
01/26/06 — Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto held a press conference in
Washington, where she claimed that Pakistan’s military-dominated
government was sidelining the country’s secular democratic forces and
creating a vacuum that is being filled by Islamist extremists. She called
for countering terrorism with “stable, pluralistic structures through
democratic reform.”
01/25/06 — The Pakistani Senate passed unanimously a resolution condemning the
1/13 Bajaur attack as a violation of the country’s sovereignty. Also, six
people, most of them women and children, were reported killed in a
landmine explosion in the Baluchistan province.
01/24/06 — President Bush hosted Prime Minister Aziz at the White House, where
he lauded the “strategic” and “vital” U.S.-Pakistan relationship. On the
same day, the U.S. Trade Representative determined that Pakistan had
made “significant progress” in protecting and enforcing intellectual
property rights, especially with regard to the pirating of optical media.

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01/22/06 — Prime Minister Aziz told an American television interviewer that the
apparent 1/13 U.S. attack in the Bajaur Agency was not coordinated with
the Pakistani government and that “not one shred of evidence” had been
found indicating that Islamic militants had been at the site of the attack.
He condemned the incident and called for greater U.S.-Pakistan
communication and coordination in the future. On the same day, a
spokesman for Baloch tribal militias claimed that 16 people, including
women and children, had been killed in two days of heavy fighting
between militants and security forces in Baluchistan.
01/20/06 — The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom urged President
Bush to raise in upcoming meetings with Prime Minister Aziz the issue of
“severe violations” of religious freedom in Pakistan. On the same day,
anti-U.S. protests continued in Pakistani cities, with thousands of
marchers reportedly chanting “Death to America” in Peshawar.
01/19/06 — Career Foreign Service officer Richard Boucher was nominated to be
Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs.
01/18/06 — Two days of high-level Pakistan-India talks ended with Foreign
Secretary Khan expressing satisfaction with the achievements of the
bilateral “composite dialogue” while also calling for movement on “more
difficult questions.” On the same day, New York-based Human Rights
Watch released an annual report claiming that President “Musharraf’s
military-backed government did little in 2005 to address ongoing human
rights concerns” and that Musharraf himself “continued to tighten his
personal grip on power.”
01/17/06 — Pakistani officials claimed that at least four Al Qaeda militants,
including Ayman al-Zawahri’s son-in-law and a top bomb expert, had
been killed in the 1/13 Bajaur attack. On the same day, a U.S.
delegation arrived in Islamabad for a fourth round of U.S.-Pakistan
bilateral investment treaty negotiations. Also, President Musharraf
gave a major address to the nation in which he sought to justify his
government’s water and dam policy, commended earthquake relief efforts,
decried the activities of “subversive” tribal leaders in Baluchistan, and
made no mention of the 1/13 Bajaur attack.
01/16/06 — Pakistan’s ruling PML party issued a statement demanding a U.S. apology
for the 1/13 Bajaur attack. On the same day, anti-U.S. protests continued
in Pakistani cities, with up to 10,000 marching in Karachi.
01/15/06 — The Leader of the Opposition in the Pakistani Senate strongly condemned
the 1/13 “violation of Pakistani airspace and missile attack on civilians”
in Bajaur. On the same day, eight people were reported killed in clashes
between security forces and militants in Baluchistan.
01/13/06 — A missile attack on a residential compound in northwest Pakistan
near the Afghan border killed up to 18 people, reportedly including
numerous women and children. Pakistani officials and local witnesses
blamed the attack on U.S. air forces, possibly Predator drones that were
targeting top Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri, who was not at the
scene. U.S. officials would not confirm U.S. involvement. The incident
led to major public anti-U.S. demonstrations. On the same day, at least
18 people, one-third of them Pakistani soldiers, were reported killed and
many more injured in gunbattles and landmine blasts in Baluchistan.

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01/10/06 — A fierce battle between Pakistani soldiers and suspected Islamic
militants in North Waziristan left 14 militants and 7 soldiers dead.
01/09/06 — The Pakistani government lodged a strong protest with U.S.-led forces in
Afghanistan after cross-border firing killed eight people in North
Waziristan. U.S. authorities denied the involvement of U.S. troops.
01/08/06 — President Musharraf accused India of arming and financing militants
Baluchistan. New Delhi rejected the allegations as “utterly baseless and
false.” On the same day, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad reported that
U.S. helicopters were delivering more than 100 tons of earthquake relief
supplies in the region daily.
01/07/06 — A missile attack on a residence in North Waziristan killed eight
people and injured nine others. Local residents said an American aircraft
had launched the missile, but U.S. officials did not confirm or deny the
report. Separate incidents left 16 people, including 8 Pakistani soldiers
and 5 members of a tribal elder’s family, dead in the region.
01/06/06 — The Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Act became P.L. 109-
163, which authorizes $40 million for Pentagon-funded humanitarian
assistance to victims of the 10/8 earthquake.
01/04/06 — A State Department official said the United States is “absolutely opposed”
to any gas pipeline projects involving Iran. On the same day, Baloch
political figures claimed that 10 people, including 2 women and 4
children, had been killed in government shelling in Baluchistan.
01/03/06 — U.N. Secretary General Annan appointed former U.S. President George
H.W. Bush as special envoy for South Asian earthquake relief efforts.
01/02/06 — Fighting between Pakistani security forces and suspected tribal militants
in Baluchistan left two people dead and eight women and children injured.
12/30/05 — The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006 became P.L. 109-
148, which allows that up to $195 million in Pentagon funds be used to
reimburse Pakistan and other key cooperating nations for their support of
U.S. military operations.
12/24/05 — Tribal leaders claimed that at least 100 people had been killed in a
“military operation” being conducted against “unarmed” people in Kohlu,
Baluchistan.
12/21/05 — A public opinion poll found Pakistanis holding a more favorable view
of the United States than at any time since September 2001, with U.S.
humanitarian assistance efforts dramatically improving America’s image.
12/18/05 — Pakistani troops backed by helicopter gunships launched an
operation against what the government called “miscreant hideouts” in
Baluchistan after the head of Pakistan’s Frontier Corps and his deputy
were injured in an attack on their helicopter over in the region.
12/16/05 — The Pentagon notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to
Pakistan of 115 self-propelled howitzers worth up to $56 million.
12/06/05 — Four paramilitary soldiers were reported kidnaped in South Waziristan.
The beheaded bodies of two were found two days later.
12/03/05 — “Senior” Al Qaeda figure Hamza Rabia reportedly was among those
killed in an apparent 12/1 missile attack in North Waziristan. The
missile likely was fired from a U.S. aerial drone.

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