Located in a part of the world with a rich and ancient history, the modern state of Pakistan was created in 1947 when the Indian sub-continent was divided: Pakistan was created as a state for the Muslims of India, with the east and west regions separated by India in between.
Yet the division left unresolved the status of the strategically important territory of Kashmir, and India and Pakistan fought wars in 1947-48 and again in 1965 over this area.
In 1971, unrest within East Pakistan followed by a third war between Pakistan and India led to East Pakistan becoming the independent state of Bangladesh.
Animosity between Pakistan and India remained a constant, and tensions again flared up after India, followed by Pakistan, tested nuclear weapons in 1998. The two sides fought a limited war in Kashmir in 1999 and experienced a major crisis after the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008. They have intermittently made efforts to normalize relations, but all have proved to be in vain.Alternating periods of military and civilian rule has prevented Pakistan from consolidating democratic rule and has often led to internal instability. The most recent military ruler, General Musharraf, took power in a coup in 1999 and, following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the U.S., pledged cooperation with U.S. counter-terrorism efforts.
Following a return to civilian rule in 2008, under Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the U.S. publicly announced its commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s transition to democracy. The current democratic dispensation in Pakistan has raised hopes for institutional revival, and the civilian leadership has had notable political successes despite increased militant violence and a severe economic crisis that has left Pakistani institutions excessively stressed. The national elections held in 2013 were considered by many experts to have highlighted elements of a strong democratic process; the elections saw participation by many parts of society, including women and youth, and voter turnout was 60% compared with just 44% in 2008. Since the elections, the government, led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has taken steps to address domestic issues. In an address at USIP in October, Sharif focused on tackling domestic and regional security problems that hamper economic growth and development.
Pakistan continues to face the challenges of sectarian divisions and militancy of all kinds within its own borders. Violent militant organizations, drawn primarily from the Sunni Deobandi tradition, are increasingly targeting rival religious minorities. Sectarian actors rationalize their activities in the context of larger regional tensions between branches of Sunni and Shia Islam. The government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents and transnational militants, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan. Violence in the areas bordering Afghanistan, and in Afghanistan itself, has led to large numbers of displaced people and has placed a strain on Pakistani institutions and resources.
From 2013 to 2014, the government of Prime Minister Sharif first gathered a consensus among political parties to attempt dialogue with the Taliban, an effort the administration broke off after Taliban-allied guerrillas attacked the country’s largest airport in Karachi in June 2014. In December 2014, the Taliban attacked and massacred 150 people, including 134 children, at the Army Public School in Peshawar. This spurred the Pakistani government to draft a new National Action Plan against terrorism, marking the first time that civilian and military authorities have forged a joint strategy against extremism.
