Pakistan's Domestic Political Developments

By Kronstadt, K. Alan

Book Id: WPLBN0000179701
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.5 MB
Reproduction Date: 2008

Title:	Pakistan's Domestic Political Developments
Author:	Kronstadt, K. Alan
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Government publications, Legislation., Government Printing Office (U.S.)
Collections:	Government Library Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Government Printing Office


Citation APA MLA Chicago Alan Kronstadt, B. K. (n.d.). Pakistan's Domestic Political Developments. Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.cc/

Excerpt
Summary: Pakistan is a strategically important country and home to one of the world’s largest Muslim populations. In October 1999, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Gen. Pervez Musharraf replaced Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup. In the wake of the military overthrow of the elected government, Islamabad faced considerable international opprobrium and was subjected to automatic coup-related U.S. sanctions. The September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and Musharraf’s ensuing withdrawal of support for the Afghan Taliban regime, however, had the effect of greatly reducing Pakistan’s international isolation. Congress removed restrictions, and large-scale U.S. aid to the country resumed, in the final months of 2001. The United States views Pakistan as a vital ally in the international anti-terrorism coalition. The Bush Administration has refrained from expressing any significant public criticisms of the Pakistan’s internal political practices, while still asserting that the strengthening of civilian political institutions in Islamabad is “a requirement for the development of a stable, moderate Islamic state.”

Table of Contents
Contents Most Recent Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 U.S. Interests and Policy Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 U.S. Interests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Policy Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Political Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Major Political Parties and Coalitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Pakistan Muslim League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Pakistan People’s Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (United Action Front) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Earlier Developments Under Musharraf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Military Rule and Assumption of the Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Constitutional Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The 2002 National Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Coalition-Building and Deadlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Musharraf-MMA Accommodation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Developments in 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Creation of a National Security Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Non-Islamist Opposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 “Shuffling” of Prime Ministers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Musharraf’s Status as Chief of Army Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Outlook for 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Islamization and Anti-American Sentiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Legislation and Issues for Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 U.S. Aid and Aid Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Succession Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 List of Figures Figure 1. U.S. Assistance to Pakistan (excluding food aid), FY2001-FY2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Figure 2. Map of Pakistan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27