Order Code RS21584
Updated April 7, 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.
04/07/06 — The United States earmarked
Acronyms:
another $13 million for Pakistan
MMA:
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
earthquake relief. On the same
PML:
Pakistan Muslim League
day, some 10,000 of tribesmen
rallied in northwest Pakistan to
demand the military’s withdrawal from the region.
04/06/06 — A prominent Shiite cleric narrowly escaped assassination when a bomb
exploded near his car in Karachi. The Sunni militant Sipah-e-Sahaba
terrorist group, whose members staged a public rally the same day, is
suspected of involvement
04/05/06 — During a visit to Islamabad, Assistant Secretary of State Boucher told
an interviewer the United States would like to see a more stable, open,
democratic, and prosperous Pakistani society, and he encouraged better
Pakistani-Afghan cooperation to defeat the “common enemy” of Islamic
extremists in the shared border area. On the same day, up to 44 people,
including 4 Pakistani soldiers and 40 Islamic militants, were killed in
ongoing fighting in North Waziristan.
04/03/06 — Interior Minister Sherpao visited Wasington for meetings with U.S.
officials. On the same day, up to 11 people, including 3 women, died in
ongoing fighting in North Waziristan.
04/02/06 — Landmine explosions killed up to 13 people, including 7 police officers,
in Baluchistan. On the same day, a Pakistani soldier and two civilians
were killed in ongoing fighting in North Waziristan.
04/01/06 — Sri Lankan President Rajapakse ended a visit to Islamabad, where
Pakistan and Sri Lanka agreed to bolster bilateral cooperation in a wide
range of areas.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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CRS-2
03/31/06 — Suspected tribal militants blew up four electrical towers in Baluchistan,
leaving 80% of the province without power.
03/30/06 — U.S. soldiers ended their Pakistan earthquake relief mission, the
largest such mission since the 1948 Berlin Airlift. On the same day, stray
mortar fire killed a woman and a child in North Waziristan. Also, the
Pakistan Air Force inducted four women pilots for the first time.
03/29/06 — Commerce Minister Khan said that better access to U.S. markets through
tariff reduction would help to fight extremism in Pakistan, claiming that
each $1 billion in Pakistani garment exports provides a liveable income
for 1.2 million people. On the same day, the Pakistani and Indian
commerce secretaries held a third round on Composite Dialogue talks on
bilateral economic and commercial cooperation. Also, terrorist leader
Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil was abducted and severely beaten by
unidentified gunmen near Islamabad.
03/28/06 — H.R. 5017, to insure the implementation of the recommendations of the
9/11 Commission, was introduced in the House. The bill contains
Pakistan-related provisions. On the same day, a bomb blast in Peshawar
killed 1 person and injured 15 others just hours after the U.S. Consulate
there had closed due to security concerns. Also, at least 25 people were
killed and 30 injured in clashes between followers of two rival clerics in
the North West Frontier Province.
03/27/06 — The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan claimed the “total breakdown
in the law and order situation across the country means that the life of no
citizen is safe.”
03/26/06 — Gunbattles in Dera Bugti, Baluchistan left a Pakistani soldier and two
militants dead.
03/25/06 — Police in Quetta arrested 57 tribesmen in connection with recent bomb and
rocket attacks in Baluchistan.
03/24/06 — In a speech marking the launch of a new bus service linking Amritsar,
India with Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Singh said
“India sincerely believes that a strong, stable, prosperous, and
moderate Pakistan is in the interest of India,” and he envisioned
someday entering into a Treaty of Peace, Security, and Friendship with
Islamabad. Pakistan cautiously welcomed the comments while insisting
that Kashmir remained the “heart of conflict, mistrust, and hostility”
between India and Pakistan. On the same day, Pakistani troops backed by
helicopter gunships continued battling Islamic militants in North
Waziristan, reportedly killing 18.
03/23/06 — President Musharraf demanded that all foreign militants leave Pakistan or
“be crushed.” On the same day, Pakistan formally protested the killing of
at least 14 Pakistanis by Afghan soldiers in southern Afghanistan. Also,
a bomb blast in Kohlu, Baluchistan, killed 1 person and injured 13 more.
03/22/06 — Top Pakistani law enforcement officials met with their Indian counterparts
to discuss increased cooperation in areas of mutual concern. On the same
day, a pro-government cleric was assassinated in South Waziristan.
03/21/06 — Tests confirmed Pakistan’s first N5N1 avian flu infections. On the
same day, the Chairman of the U.S. Joint chiefs of Staff, Gen. Pace,
visited earthquake-affected areas in Pakistan. Also, Pakistan test-fired a
cruise missile for the second time.

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CRS-3
03/20/06 — Foreign Minister Kasuri told the Pakistani Senate that “Pakistan will not
accept any discriminatory treatment” and the United States “must have a
package approach while dealing with India and Pakistan” with regard to
civil nuclear cooperation. Kasuri later called the U.S.-India deal a “one-
sided bargain” that is inconsistent with Washington’s professions of
friendship with Islamabad. On the same day, during a visit to
Washington, Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah claimed that pro-Taliban
militants continue to train and hide in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
03/19/06 — A two-week, U.S.-sponsored Pakistani-Afghan border security seminar
began in Germany. On the same day, suspected Islamic militants blew up
a police vehicle in northwest Pakistan near North Waziristan, killing seven
people and injuring another five.
03/17/06 — President Musharraf said that the pending U.S.-India civil nuclear
cooperation deal would “upset the balance of power” in South Asia and
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States reportedly requested a
“package deal” that would allow for U.S. civil nuclear cooperation with
both Pakistan and India. On the same day, some 20,000 people rallied in
Lahore to protest against the publication of blasphemous cartoons in
European newspapers.
03/16/06 — The House passed an emergency supplemental appropriations bill (H.R.
4939), including a provision allowing that up to $1.2 billion in Pentagon
funds may be used to reimburse Pakistan and other key cooperating
nations for their support of U.S. military operations. On the same day,
President Bush’s 2006 National Security Strategy of the United States
stated, “We are eager to see Pakistan move along a stable, secure, and
democratic path,” adding, “America’s relationship with Pakistan will not
be a mirror image of our relationship with India.”
03/15/06 — At least 14 people, most of them schoolgirls, were injured when a bomb
exploded in Quetta.
03/14/06 — Officials from Pakistan, India, and Iran met in Tehran for talks on a
proposed tripartite gas pipeline project.
03/13/06 — Secretary of Energy Bodman visited Islamabad, where he discussed a
wide range of energy-related issues with Pakistani leaders, but declined to
discuss civil nuclear cooperation and voiced U.S. opposition to a proposed
Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.
03/12/06 — Sibghatullah Mojadidi, a former Afghan president, survived a suicide car
bomb attack in Kabul that left four people dead. Mojadidi, who is seeking
to encourage Taliban defections, blamed Pakistan’s intelligence agency for
the attack. Pakistan rejected the charges.
03/10/06 — At least 30 people, including 21 children and 5 women, were killed
when a bus carrying a wedding party hit a landmine in Dera Bugti,
Baluchistan. On the same day, the Pakistan Army reported that artillery
barrages had killed 25 Islamic militants in North Waziristan. Locals
disputed the claim, saying most of the dead were civilians, including
women and children.
03/09/06 — A top U.S. military officer told a House panel that senior Al Qaeda and
Taliban leaders operate in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Area
along the Afghan border. On the same day, the U.S. Embassy in
Islamabad reported that earthquake contributions from Americans to
philanthropic organizations had topped $130 million.

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CRS-4
03/08/06 — Prime Minister Aziz told an interviewer that “there is no need for further
discussion” of the A.Q. Khan-run nuclear smuggling ring, as “all
information”has been shared with international investigators.
03/07/06 — The Commander of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. Abizaid, visited
Islamabad, where President Musharraf reportedly requested his help in
defusing Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions. On the same day, a train service
linking Pakistan and Iran was suspended following rocket and bomb
attacks on the rail by suspected Baloch militants. Also, Interior Minister
Sherpao said Islamabad had “credible evidence” that “a foreign hand” was
aiding militants in Pakistan’s North Waziristan and Baluchistan regions.
03/06/06 — President Musharraf criticized Afghan President Karzai for “bad-
mouthing” Pakistan with “baseless” claims about the presence in Pakistan
of top Islamic militant leaders, including Mullah Omar. On the same day,
Pakistani troops backed by helicopter gunships continued battling Islamic
militants in North Waziristan, reportedly killing 19. Security forces
regained control of a major town where government buildings had been
seized in an audacious attack by hundreds of armed militants.
03/05/06 — Fierce fighting in North Waziristan reportedly left up to 100 Islamic
militants dead. On the same day, 35,000 protesters rallied in Karachi
against the publication of blasphemous cartoons in European newspapers.
03/04/06 — President Bush and President Musharraf issued a joint statement on the
U.S.-Pakistan “strategic partnership” that calls for the launch of a
strategic dialogue and “significant expansion” of bilateral economic ties,
including mutual trade and investment, as well as initiatives in the areas
of energy, peace and security, social sector development, science and
technology, democracy, and nonproliferation. President Bush expressed
being “grateful for President Musharraf’s strong and vital support in the
war on terror” and later said Musharraf understood that Pakistan’s planned
2007 elections “need to be open and honest.” Musharraf later claimed that
his government has “introduced the essence of democracy” in Pakistan.
On the same day, the Pentagon issued a statement lauding bilateral
military relations with Pakistan and calling for continued strengthening of
the defense relationship. Also, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
welcomed President Bush’s call for democracy in Pakistan while warning
that U.S. support for President Musharraf was myopic.
03/03/06 — President Bush began a one-day visit to Pakistan under heavy security.
On the same day, two girls were killed and three other children injured in
a grenade attack in Quetta.
03/02/06 — A car bomb exploded outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, killing at
least five people, including an American diplomat. President Bush, who
was slated to visit Pakistan the next day, 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, killing up to 30 militants and spurring
anti-U.S. outrage among some local residents.
02/28/06 — 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.”
02/26/06 — Some 25,000 people in Karachi protested the publication of blasphemous
cartoons in European newspapers.

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CRS-5
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.”
02/21/06 — A Karachi court sentenced 11 men to death for their roles in a failed June
2004 attack on a senior Pakistani general that killed 10 people.
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.
02/19/06 — President Musharraf began a five-day visit to China to discuss
counterterrorism, trade, and technical assistance with top Chinese leaders.
02/18/06 — The “Thar Express” railroad linking Sindh with India’s Rajasthan
state was resumed after more than four decades in suspension.
02/16/06 — Afghanistan presented Pakistan with a list of 150 Taliban militants said to
be living in Pakistan. On the same day, Pakistan’s ruling party condemned
the publication of blasphemous cartoons as part of a “vilification
campaign” against Islam and 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
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.
02/14/06 — Anger over the publication in European newspapers of cartoons deemed
offensive to Muslims led to violent protests in Islamabad and Lahore.
02/13/06 — U.S. Navy engineers in Pakistan turned over $2.5 million worth of
construction equipment to their Pakistani counterparts.
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.
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.
02/05/06 — A bomb exploded on a bus in Quetta, killing at least 13 people and
injuring 20 others.

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CRS-6
02/03/06 — President Musharraf condemned “in the strongest terms” the publication
in European newspapers of cartoons deemed offensive to Muslims.
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.
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.
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.
01/24/06 — President Bush hosted Prime Minister Aziz at the White House, where
he lauded the “strategic” and “vital” U.S.-Pakistan relationship.
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.”
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.
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.
01/10/06 — A fierce battle between Pakistani soldiers and suspected Islamic
militants in North Waziristan left 14 militants and 7 soldiers dead.
01/08/06 — President Musharraf accused India of arming and financing militants
Baluchistan. New Delhi rejected the allegations as “utterly false.”
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