Pakistan: Chronology of Recent Events
Pakistan: Chronology of Events,
November 2006 - February 2007
K. Alan Kronstadt
Specialist 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
Report RL33498, Pakistan-U.S. Relations. This report will not be updated.
himself, a policeman, and aFATA:Federally Administered Tribal
civilian near a Shiite processionAreas
in the northwestern city of DeraNWFP:North West Frontier Province
Ismail Khan. Seven others were
injured. On the same day, two
rockets hit a Shiite mosque in Bannu near North Waziristan, injuring 11
people, two seriously.
01/27/07 — House Speaker Representative Pelosi and six other Members of
Congress met with President Musharraf in Islamabad. On the same
day, a bomb blast in Peshawar killed 15 people, most of them
policemen including the city’s police chief, and injured some 60 other
people in a possible sectarian attack.
01/26/07 — A suicide bomber killed himself and a security guard at a major
Islamabad hotel. Six other Pakistani nationals were injured. On the
same day, suspected Islamist militants killed one policeman and critically
wounded another in the town of Tank near South Waziristan. Also,
militants attacked a tribal police post in the Bajaur tribal agency, critically
wounding a policeman. Finally, a State Department official traveling in
Pakistan reportedly said the Bush Administration was seeking changes to
Pakistan-specific provisions of H.R. 1 (see 1/5 entry).
01/25/07 — Pakistan, Afghanistan, and NATO opened the first joint intelligence
sharing center in Kabul to boost cooperation against Taliban and other
extremists. On the same day, the Indian army claimed that Pakistani and
Indian troops had exchanged small arms fire across the Kashmiri LOC.
Also, a car bomb exploded in the city of Hangu in northwestern Pakistan,
killing two people and injuring four others in a suspected sectarian attack.
Finally, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin won a $187 million contract to
produce and equip seven PC-3 maritime surveillance aircraft for Pakistan.
01/24/07 — President Musharraf ended a four-day tour of capitals in Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and the U.A.E., where he exchanged
views with Arab leaders on “the deteriorating situation in the Middle East,
especially the Palestine issue.” On the same day, Prime Minister Aziz
insisted that the root of the ongoing Taliban insurgency lay in the Afghan
government’s weak authority, and he called “ridiculous” claims that
Islamabad or Pakistan’s intelligence agencies were supporting or
providing safe haven to pro-Taliban militants. Also, a Population
Ministry official said Pakistan’s growth rate had dropped from 2.1% to
01/23/07 — Islamabad lodged a formal protest with Washington and London over
cross-border fire by U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan that killed one
Pakistani soldier and injured two others.
01/22/07 — A suicide car bomber killed four Pakistani soldiers and a civilian in
North Waziristan. Nine other soldiers were injured in the attack on an
army convoy near the town of Mir Ali.
01/21/07 — A New York Times report said, “More than two weeks of reporting along
this [Pakistan-Afghanistan] frontier ... leaves little doubt that Quetta is an
important base for the Taliban, and found many signs that Pakistani
authorities are encouraging the insurgents, if not sponsoring them.” A
Pakistani army official later admitted that Afghan refugee camps inside
Pakistan provided safe havens for insurgents, but Islamabad denied that
it was insincere in efforts to combat the Taliban.
01/19/07 — The Pakistan Navy inducted the first of eight PC-3 maritime surveillance
aircraft purchased from the United States. On the same day, security
forces reported destroying 4 tribal militant camps and arresting 30
“miscreants” in Baluchistan.
01/18/07 — Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, leader of the moderate faction of the separatist
Hurriyat Conference in Indian Kashmir, arrived in Islamabad for talks
with top Pakistani leaders.
01/17/07 — Information Minister Durrani said the federal cabinet had decided that
current assemblies would elect the Pakistani president in September or
October of 2007. On the same day, New Delhi lodged a formal protest
with Islamabad over an alleged cross-border shooting incident that left
two Indian soldiers injured.
01/16/07 — The Pakistan army launched an airstrike on a suspected militant
training camp in South Waziristan, reportedly killing up to 20
“miscreants,” some of them foreigners. The attack came just hours after
Secretary of Defense Gates arrived in Afghanistan. Islamabad denied
reports that the attack had in fact been launched by an American drone.
Local tribal leader Baitullah Mehsud vowed to take revenge for the attack.
On the same day, U.S. military commanders in Kabul said Taliban
militants were “taking advantage” of the 9/06 truce to triple the rates
of their cross-border attacks in Afghanistan. Also, Afghan intelligence
agents arrested a purported Taliban spokesman after he crossed into
their country from Pakistan. A subsequent “confession” from the
suspect placed Taliban chief Mullah Omar in the Pakistani city of Quetta.
01/15/07 — Islamabad said it would begin closing four Afghan refugee camps near the
Afghan border in an effort to reduce the cross-border movement of
insurgents in the region. On the same day, Massachusetts-based Raytheon
signed a $284 million agreement to provide Pakistan with 700 air-to-air
missiles to Pakistan beginning in 2008.
01/13/07 — Foreign Minister Kasuri hosted Indian External Affairs Minister
Mukherjee’s visit to Islamabad, where the two men agreed to launch in
mid-March a fourth round of the Composite Dialogue that began in 2004.
On the same day, a top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said
fugitive Islamist militant Jalaluddin Haqqani was sending fighters into
Afghanistan from a base in Pakistan.
01/12/07 — Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Boucher met
with President Musharraf in Islamabad to discuss U.S.-Pakistan
relations and efforts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan. Secretary
Boucher subsequently paid visits to Peshawar and the FATA.
01/11/07 — Director of National Intelligence Negroponte told a Senate panel that
“Pakistan is a frontline partner in the war on terror. Nevertheless, it
remains a major source of Islamic extremism and the home for some top
terrorist leaders,” adding that Al Qaeda’s “core elements ... maintain
active connections and relationships that radiate outward from their
leaders’ secure hideout in Pakistan ....” Defense Intelligence Agency
Director Lt. Gen. Maples told the same panel that, “Pakistan’s border with
Afghanistan remains a haven for Al Qaeda’s leadership and other
extremists,” and that tribal leaders in Waziristan had not abided by most
terms of the 9/06 truce agreement. Islamabad later called the allegations
“incorrect.” On the same day, Pakistan army troops attacked supply
trucks used by suspected pro-Taliban militants in North Waziristan,
the first such attack since the 9/06 truce. The action appeared to have
been taken with the assistance of U.S.-provided intelligence and in support
of a U.S.-led offensive across the border in Afghanistan.
01/10/07 — Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman won a $50 million contract for fire
control radars for F-16 fighters to be used by Pakistan.
01/09/07 — The House passed H.R. 1 (see 1/5 entry). On the same day, Pakistan
released from jail 115 India fishermen in a gesture of goodwill ahead of
foreign minister-level talks.
01/08/07 — President Bush nominated U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Crocker to
be the new U.S. Ambassador to Iraq. On the same day, a top U.N.
official in Kabul said Pakistan needed to take more action against Taliban
leaders as required under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1267 of 1999.
Also, India’s prime minister said he hoped to someday conclude a treaty
of security, peace, and friendship with Pakistan. Islamabad said such a
treaty would be possible only after the Kashmir dispute is resolved.
01/06/07 — Four tribal militants were killed and two security personnel injured in
fighting in Baluchistan.
01/05/07 — H.R. 1, the Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act
of 2007, was introduced in the House. The bill includes a provision that
would end U.S. military assistance and arms sales licensing to Pakistan in
FY2008 unless the President certifies that the Islamabad government is
“making all possible efforts” to end Taliban activities on Pakistani soil.
Another section of the bill would suspend all arms sales licenses and
deliveries to any “nuclear proliferation host country” unless the President
certifies that such a country is, inter alia, fully investigating and taking
actions to permanently halt illicit nuclear proliferation activities.
01/04/07 — In a electronic rare interview, Taliban chief Mullah Omar, widely
believed to be hiding in Pakistan, said he would never negotiate with
the U.S.-supported government in Kabul until foreign troops withdraw
from Afghanistan, and he denied receiving external assistance or “safe
haven” from Pakistan. On the same day, Prime Minister Aziz said his
government wanted some three million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan
to return home as part of an effort to combat the Taliban insurgency.
12/29/06 — U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Schoomaker met with President
Musharraf in Islamabad to discuss bilateral counterterrorism cooperation.
On the same day, the Pakistan army reportedly launched fresh military
operations against tribal militant camps in Baluchistan.
12/26/06 — Islamabad announced intentions to fence and mine sections of the
Pakistan-Afghanistan border in an effort to halt the movements of
Taliban militants in the region. A U.N. human rights official later
expressed concern that the mining would endanger civilians, and the plan
came under fire from tribal leaders in the FATA, as well as from Afghan
leaders. On the same day, a car bomb exploded outside the Peshawar
airport, killing one person and injuring two others. Also, a bomb
exploded at a girl’s school in northwestern Pakistan near the FATA.
Police blamed pro-Taliban militants for the nonlethal blast.
12/24/06 — Gunmen opened fire on a Sunni funeral in northwestern Pakistan, killing
four people and injuring eight others in a likely sectarian revenge attack.
12/22/06 — Two days of Pakistan-India talks on the militarized Sir Creek dispute
ended with agreement to conduct a joint survey. On the same day,
suspected pro-Taliban militants attacked a government vehicle in North
Waziristan, killing one policeman and injuring two others. Also, Pakistan
and India began a prisoner swap involving 57 Pakistani nationals and 70
Indians. Finally, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists
called for a full investigation into the reported beating of a New York
Times reporter and the detention of her photographer by apparent
Pakistani government officials in Quetta.
12/21/06 — The U.N. Children’s Fund accused the Islamabad government of
preventing aid groups from distributing food and tents to Pakistanis
affected by the insurgency in Baluchistan.
12/20/06 — Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States said it was “premature” to
conclude that the 9/06 peace deal with North Waziristan tribes was a
failure. On the same day, India’s prime minister welcomed recent peace
proposals from Pakistan, saying they “contribute to the ongoing thought
process.” Also, Foreign Minister Kasuri met with his Iranian counterpart
in Tehran where the two men agreed to speed up efforts to finalize a
pipeline project to deliver Iranian natural gas to India via Pakistan.
12/19/06 — An Afghan officials claimed to have detained a Pakistani intelligence
agent with alleged links to Al Qaeda. On the same day, a pro-government
tribal leader formerly aligned with Baloch separatists was killed along
with two companions in a bomb blast in Baluchistan.
12/18/06 — The United States launched a three-year, $11.5 million effort to improve
children’s health in Pakistan’s tribal areas. On the same day, unidentified
gunmen shot dead a senior policeman and his driver in the Bannu district
near North Waziristan.
12/16/06 — Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force received $850,000 worth of vehicles and
counternarcotics security equipment from the United States.
12/15/06 — Pakistan’s Supreme Court blocked a new attempt to enact a Taliban-style
Islamic law bill in the NWFP. The controversial Hasba (or accountability)
bill is opposed by President Musharraf.
12/14/06 — Islamabad claimed to have arrested more than 500 Taliban militants in
Taliban militants and seeking to “enslave” the Afghan people.
12/11/06 — Brussels-based International Crisis Group issued a report criticizing the
apparent failure of Islamabad’s efforts to “appease” Islamist militants in
Pakistan’s tribal regions.
12/09/06 — Pakistan test-fired a nuclear-capable Hatf III (Ghaznavi) short-range
ballistic missile.
12/08/06 — Foreign Minister Kasuri ended a two-day visit to Kabul without
resolving differences between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the
composition of proposed tribal councils to stem the Taliban insurgency.
On the same day, London-based Amnesty International criticized
Islamabad for human rights abuses related to its cooperation with the U.S.-
led “war on terror,” including the arbitrary detention, enforced
disappearance, and torture of hundreds of people.
12/07/06 — The Pentagon notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to
Pakistan worth up to $855 million. The deal involves refurbishment and
modification of three excess P-3 aircraft with the E-2C Hawkeye airborne
early warning suite. On the same day, Washington unveiled the Secure
Freight Initiative, which seeks to prevent nuclear-related smuggling into
the United States by placing specialized x-ray and optical scanners at sea
ports in six foreign nations, including Karachi.
12/05/06 — Maryland-based Lockheed Martin won a $144 million contract to provide
materials for F-16 combat aircraft being sold to Pakistan.
12/04/06 — President Musharraf told an interviewer that Pakistan is “against
independence” for Kashmir, instead offering a four-point proposal that
would lead to “self-governance,” defined as “falling between autonomy
and independence.” Many analysts saw the proposal as being roughly in
line with New Delhi’s Kashmir position. Some opposition political
parties and Kashmiri separatist groups rejected Musharraf’s proposal as
an abandonment of Islamabad’s long-held policy, but the Foreign Office
insisted that Pakistan’s “legal position” continues to be based on relevant
U.N. Security Council resolutions.
12/03/06 — A suicide bomber, suspected to be of Uzbek origin, killed himself and a
policeman in North Waziristan.
12/01/06 — In a major privatization move, the Pakistan government sold a ten percent
share of the country’s largest oil company for $813 million. On the same
day, a suicide bomber killed himself in the parking lot of a military facility
in Peshawar. No other casualties were reported.
11/29/06 — Education Secretary Spellings led the U.S. delegation at a meeting of the
U.S.-Pakistan Education Dialogue in Washington. On the same day,
Pakistan test-fired a nuclear-capable Hatf IV (Shaheen I) medium-range
ballistic missile. Also, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the government
to disclose the whereabouts of 41 suspected security detainees who have
“disappeared.” Human rights groups claim to have recorded more than
11/27/06 — Suspected pro-Taliban militants in South Waziristan killed a tribal cleric
they accused of being a “U.S. spy.”
where China and Pakistan sought to bolster their “all-weather friendship
and all-dimensional cooperation” with the signing of 18 new pacts,
including a bilateral Free Trade Agreement.
11/23/06 — Heavy fighting between government security forces and armed rebels
broke out in the Kohlu district of Baluchistan.
where Britain and Pakistan agreed to forward their “abiding partnership”
and London vowed to more than double its development assistance to
Pakistan to $944 million over the next three years.
11/16/06 — Pakistan test-fired a nuclear-capable Hatf V (Gauri I) medium-range
ballistic missile.
11/15/06 — The Pakistan-India Composite Dialogue resumed when Foreign
Secretary Khan made a two-day visit to New Delhi for talks with his
Indian counterpart. The two officials gave shape to a joint anti-terrorism
mechanism proposed in September and they agreed to continue the
dialogue process in early 2007.
11/14/06 — Pakistan’s National Assembly passed the Women’s Protection Bill
amending the controversial Hudood Ordinances which apply Islamic law
to cases of rape. Islamist politicians boycotted the vote in protest.
11/13/06 — The Pentagon notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to
Pakistan worth up to $160 million. The deal involves thousands of
military radio systems. On the same day, lawmakers in the NWFP again
passed a controversial Hasba (or accountability) bill that would
establish Taliban-style Islamic laws in the region.
11/11/06 — A pro-government tribal chief and eight other people were killed when a
bomb destroyed their vehicle in South Waziristan.
11/08/06 — A suicide bomber killed himself and 42 army recruits at a military
training camp at Dargai in the NWFP, not far from the site of the 10/30
Chingai madrassa attack.
10/30/06 — Some 82 people were killed in a pre-dawn air attack on a religious
school at Chingai in the Bajaur tribal agency. The Pakistani military
claimed to have undertaken the attack after the school’s pro-Taliban leader
continued to train terrorists and shelter “unwanted foreigners” despite
repeated warnings. Many observers speculated that the attack had in
fact been carried out by U.S. drones.