FACTBOX: Pakistan's stormy political history

Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:16am EST
 
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(Reuters) - Pakistanis will vote on Monday in a general election that is meant to be part of a transition to full civilian rule in a country that has been led by generals for half the 60 years since it was carved out of the partition of India.

The February 18 vote is the 9th parliamentary election. Here are some key events in the political history of Pakistan.

1947:

-- Pakistan born out of bloody partition of the British-ruled India on August 14. It consists of two wings separated by northern India; West Pakistan and East Pakistan, present day Bangladesh.

1948

-- Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and first governor general dies. Pakistan fights first war with India.

1951:

-- Assassin kills the first prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan

at a rally in the city of Rawalpindi.

1954:

-- Governor General Ghulam Muhammad dissolves the first Constituent Assembly just before a constitution can be passed.

1956:

-- First constitution declares Pakistan an Islamic Republic.

-- Former general Sikandar Mirza becomes the first president.

1958

-- Mirza abrogates constitution, imposes first martial law and puts army chief General Muhammad Ayub Khan in charge. Khan later becomes president.  Continued...

 
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