Pakistan a Hard Country

1300 - Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization existed in various forms.

1000 - Destruction of Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization was likely destroyed by Aryan invaders from Central Asia.

Maurya Empire Expansion

The Maurya Empire conquers most of northern India and Afghanistan. During this period, the Buddhist Gandhara civilization flourishes in Afghanistan and northern Pakistan.

501-600 - Kushan and Gupta Empires

The Kushan and Gupta Empires.

Death of Prophet Muhammad

The death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

601-700 - Muslim Raids on Sindh

Muslim raids on Sindh.

Muhammad bin Qasim's Conquest

Muhammad bin Qasim, a general of the Umayyad Caliphate, invades Sindh by sea, initiating Muslim rule in South Asia. He extends Muslim rule to Multan in southern Punjab.

Early 8th Century

The spread of Islam begins in Sindh.

1400s - Late 15th Century

Mir Chakar, chief of the Rind tribe, conquers parts of Punjab and Sindh, paving the way for large-scale Baloch migration.

1500s - 16th Century

Some Sufi leaders condemn Akbar, the Mughal emperor, for attempting to create a new syncretic religion.

1500s - Early 16th to Early 18th Century

Sindh comes under Mughal Empire rule, but central control is very weak.

1638 CE

The rule of Kalat, recognized by Baloch nationalists as the historic national state of the Baloch, is established.

1673 CE

The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore is completed.

1690s - Late 17th and Early 18th Century

Some Sufis support Aurangzeb's strict Islamist policies.

1700s - 18th Century

Shah Waliullah, a reformist Islamic thinker, is active. Sikh power rises in Punjab.

1800s - Early 19th Century Onwards

The Afghan kingdom never managed to assert its claim over all or most Pashtuns, due to the conquest of Pashtun areas by Sikhs and then the British.

1801

1839: Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Sikh rule in Punjab.

1803

Shah Alam II, the Mughal ruler, accepts the support of the British East India Company.

1839

1847: Britain engages in a fierce war with the Bugti tribe, a precursor to Pakistan's current conflict with the Bugtis.

1840

The First Anglo-Afghan War begins.

1843

The British conquest of Sindh.

1845

The British defeat the Sikhs and annex Punjab.

1849

The British reorganize the Indian army with units based in Punjab.

1856

The British annex Awadh, the last major independent Muslim state in northern India.

1857

The rebellion of Muslims and Hindus against British rule, termed the 'Indian Rebellion' by the British. Delhi and Lucknow are largely destroyed, and the last Mughal emperor is deposed. Severe suppression of North Indian Muslims.

1858 and 1890s

Swat and neighboring areas were the scene of major tribal jihads against the British Raj's approach to their borders.

1866

Followers of Shah Waliullah establish a school in Deoband, North India, laying the foundation for the Deobandi movement in South Asian Sunni Islam.

1875

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan establishes the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (later Aligarh Muslim University) in Aligarh.

1876

Sir Robert Sandeman, a British frontier official, signs a treaty with the Khan placing Kalat and its dependencies under British control.

1878 - Second Anglo-Afghan War

The Second Anglo-Afghan War occurs.

1880 - Founding of Faisalabad

Faisalabad, originally named Lyallpur, is founded by the British.

1885 - Indian National Congress Founded

The Indian National Congress is established.

1893 - Durand Line Drawn

The British draw the Durand Line to demarcate the border between British India and Afghanistan. It is never accepted by Afghans.

1896 - Jinnah Joins Congress

Muhammad Ali Jinnah joins the Congress.

1896

1899: Major uprisings in the name of Islam among the Pashtun tribes against British rule.

1901

Pashtun areas of Punjab are grouped into a Chief Commissioner's province.

1906

Formation of the Muslim League in Dhaka, Eastern Bengal.

1914

World War I begins.

1916

Jinnah becomes leader of the Muslim League and initiates the Lucknow Pact.

1920

Around 20,000 Indian Muslims attempt to migrate to Afghanistan.

1922 - Abolition of the Caliphate

The Caliphate is abolished by Kemal Atatürk, establishing the new secular Republic of Turkey.

1932 - Formation of NWFP

The Pashtun region is separated from Punjab, forming the new North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).

1936 - Sindh Becomes a Separate Province

Sindh is established as a separate province.

1937 - Muslim Shariat Law Enacted

The Muslim Shariat Law is enacted.

1938 - Elections Under British Rule

Elections held under British rule. The Congress and Muslim League split after Congress rejects League's participation in provincial governments.

1939

World War II.

1940

The Muslim League adopts the Lahore Resolution, calling for an independent and autonomous Pakistan.

1941

Syed Abul A'la Maududi establishes the Jamaat-e-Islami party in Lahore.

1946

The British Cabinet Mission fails to negotiate a united independent India with a loose federal constitution and guaranteed power-sharing between Hindus and Muslims.

March 1947

Terrible bloodshed begins in Punjab.

August 1947

Independence and partition of India. Mass migration of refugees between India and Pakistan. Muhammad Ali Jinnah becomes the first Governor-General of Pakistan. Karachi becomes the capital of Pakistan.

1948

1949: Armed resistance in Balochistan after the annexation of Kalat to Pakistan (under heavy pressure).

1948

Nasir Jamal's family flees from India to East Pakistan.

1949

Nawaz Sharif is born in Lahore.

1951

Assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Early 1950s

The Muslim League is dissolved. The Pakistan Army decides to invest its share from the British military reconstruction fund into commercial ventures.

1955

1970: Sindh Province is dissolved and merged into the 'One Unit' of West Pakistan.

Late 1950s

Unrest in Balochistan following its merger into the 'One Unit' and the breach of promises of full autonomy to the State of Kalat.

1958

Military coup, Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan comes to power.

1958

1969: Muhammad Ayub Khan is the military ruler.

1959

1969: Average annual economic growth of 6.8% under Ayub Khan's rule.

1965

Pakistan-India War.

1967

Military industries and charitable institutions are renamed to 'Fauji Foundation'.

1969

General Yahya Khan comes to power, abolishes 'One Unit', and restores provinces. The princely rule in Swat ends, and the region joins Pakistan.

November 1970

A catastrophic cyclone in East Pakistan results in approximately 1 million deaths, and the government is accused of negligence.

March 1971

Operation 'Searchlight' is launched by the Pakistan Army in East Pakistan.

1971

1977: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is the Prime Minister.

1972

All major industries and banks are nationalized. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) forms a short-lived government in the North-West Frontier Province in coalition with the Awami National Party (ANP).

1973

1977: Serious insurgency in Balochistan follows the dismissal of the moderate nationalist government by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

1974

1977: Average annual economic growth of 2.7%.

1974

Nasir Jamal's family flees newly established Bangladesh to Karachi.

1977

General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, a military ruler, comes to power. Faisalabad is renamed in honor of the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.

1977

1988: General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq is the military ruler.

1984

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is founded to represent Urdu-speaking migrants in Karachi and other Sindh cities.

1985

Nawaz Sharif becomes Chief Minister of Punjab. Ethnic riots begin in Karachi.

August 1986

MQM holds its first major rally at Nishtar Park, declaring migrants as a separate nation in Pakistan.

1987

MQM wins local elections in Karachi and Hyderabad.

1988

Protests against fraudulent elections in Indian Kashmir are harshly suppressed by Indian forces, leading to a prolonged insurgency with tens of thousands of deaths. Pakistan supports the insurgents with weapons and volunteers from Islamist militant groups. Benazir Bhutto is born.

August 1988

General Zia and senior staff are killed in a plane crash, widely considered sabotage. The military and civil services manage a 'transition to democracy'. The Islamic Party begins its political movement in Pakistan.

September 1988

The Islamic Democratic Alliance (IJI), a coalition of conservative Islamic parties, is formed to counter Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party.

1989

Benazir Bhutto becomes the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Early 1990s

The then Interior Minister, Aftab Khan Sherpao, becomes the Chief Minister under the PPP-led government but later separates from the PPP.

1991

Nawaz Sharif becomes the Prime Minister of Pakistan for the first time.

1992

Maulana Sufi Muhammad, founder of Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), separates from Jamaat-e-Islami in protest against opposition to armed revolution.

1993

1996: Second government of Benazir Bhutto. The government regains control of Karachi. Pakistan shifts its support in the Afghan civil war to the newly organized Taliban in Kandahar.

1994

Maulana Sufi Muhammad is arrested (but later released). The Taliban capture Kabul.

1995

The Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) begins widespread protests in Swat and other Malakand areas to enforce Islamic law.

1996

President Farooq Leghari dismisses the PPP government on charges of corruption. Elections result in a decisive victory for Nawaz Sharif's Muslim League.

1996

1997: Mumtaz Ali Bhutto briefly becomes Prime Minister again.

1997

1999: Nawaz Sharif's second government. The administration implements significant economic reforms but becomes increasingly authoritarian. The Chief Justice is dismissed, and dissenting journalists are targeted.

1997

MQM changes its name to 'Muttahida Qaumi Movement'.

1998

Pakistan conducts its nuclear tests. Nawaz Sharif successfully recruits 5,000 Pashtun soldiers from the Frontier Corps to attack Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

May 1999

General Pervez Musharraf becomes the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan.

October 1999

A military coup led by General Pervez Musharraf overthrows Nawaz Sharif's government and seizes power.

1999

2008: General Pervez Musharraf, military ruler.

March 2001

Musharraf removes A.Q. Khan from nuclear program leadership.

September 2001

September 11 attacks.

November 2001

Maulana Sufi Muhammad re-imprisoned at U.S. insistence.

December 2001

Western-backed Afghan forces fail to capture Al-Qaeda stronghold in Tora Bora near Pakistan border.

January 2002

The Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) and other extremist Islamist organizations are banned.

2002

Attack on an airbase in Miranshah, Waziristan. A group of Pakistani Taliban (TTP) conducts its first attack in Waziristan.

2003

2008: Annual economic growth between 6.6% and 9% under Pervez Musharraf's rule.

December 2003

An assassination attempt on Musharraf occurs, allegedly with low-level assistance from within the armed forces.

2004

The Taliban insurgency begins in Pashtun areas.

January 2005

The conflict between the Bugtis and the army escalates into a full-scale rebellion.

2005

Maulana Sami-ul-Haq receives a message from Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

December 2005

Pervez Musharraf visits Kohlu in Balochistan, and his helicopter is attacked by rockets.

August 2006

Nawab Akbar Bugti, the Baloch rebel leader, is mysteriously killed by the army. The Baloch insurgency intensifies.

January

July 2007: Islamic extremists turn the Red Mosque complex in Islamabad into an armed stronghold. In July, security forces storm the Red Mosque, resulting in 154 deaths.

May 2007

Dozens killed in Karachi as activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (allied with Musharraf) prevent the Chief Justice from visiting the city.

November 2007

Musharraf wins presidential election. Declares martial law but soon retreats under US pressure. Resigns as army chief. Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto allowed to return from exile.

February 2008

Elections held. Awami National Party (ANP) wins the general elections.

December 27, 2007

Assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

July 2008

Pakistani army launches an offensive against the Pakistani Taliban in Bajaur tribal agency.

August 2008

Pervez Musharraf resigns from the presidency.

September 2008

Zardari is elected president by members of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies. He breaks his promise to reinstate Iftikhar Chaudhry as Chief Justice.

September 20, 2008

The Marriott Hotel in Islamabad is severely damaged by a car bombing. Terrorist attacks by the Pakistani Taliban and their allies intensify across Pakistan.

October 2008

An assassination attempt on Asfandyar Wali Khan, ANP leader, in Charsadda results in the death of one of his guards.

December 2008

A terrorist attack occurs in Peshawar.

November 2008

Relations between India and Pakistan severely deteriorate again after terrorists from the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba carry out attacks in Mumbai, India, killing 185 people.

February 2009

The national government and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) government reach the 'Nizam-e-Adl' agreement with the Pakistani Taliban in Swat.

March 2009

Zardari's government dismisses Sharif's government in Punjab. The Muslim League organizes a large march to Islamabad. Zardari is forced to back down, allowing Chaudhry to return as Chief Justice and permitting the Muslim League to continue.

April 2009

The Taliban in Swat seize the neighboring Buner district, which is closer to Islamabad.

May 2009

The Pakistani army launches a major operation to reclaim Swat and Buner.

24 May 2009

President Asif Ali Zardari meets with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan in Tehran.

July 2009

General Nadeem Ahmed, commander of the First Corps, is appointed to coordinate relief and reconstruction in Swat and other areas.

October 2009

The Pakistan Army in South Waziristan.

December 2009

The National Finance Commission Award, agreed between the national government and provinces, adjusts revenue allocation in favor of Sindh, NWFP, and especially Balochistan.

February 9, 2010

Hakimullah Mehsud, leader of the Pakistani Taliban.

January 1, 2010

Over ninety people are killed in a Taliban suicide bombing at a volleyball game in Laki Marwat, NWFP.

January 14, 2010

Jamaat-ud-Dawa condemns the killing of Muslims in suicide bombings as un-Islamic.

May 2010

Failed attempt to bomb Times Square in New York.

Summer 2010

Devastating floods in Pakistan.

January 2011

Assassination of Governor Salman Taseer.

May 2011

Osama bin Laden is found and killed in Abbottabad.