{ "id": "RL32615", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL32615", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 308427, "date": "2005-09-19", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T19:31:15.555029", "title": "Pakistan's Domestic Political Developments", "summary": "Pakistan is a strategically important country and home to one of the world's largest Muslim\npopulations. In October 1999, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Gen. Pervez Musharraf replaced Prime\nMinister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup. Following the military overthrow of an elected\ngovernment, Islamabad faced considerable international opprobrium and was subjected to automatic\ncoup-related U.S. sanctions. The September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and\nMusharraf's ensuing withdrawal of support for the Afghan Taliban regime, however, had the effect\nof greatly reducing Pakistan's international isolation. Congress temporarily removed restrictions,\nand large-scale U.S. aid to the country resumed, in late 2001. The United States views Pakistan as\na vital ally in the international anti-terrorism coalition. The Bush Administration refrains from\nexpressing any significant public criticisms of Pakistan's internal political practices, while still\nasserting that the strengthening of civilian political institutions in Islamabad is \"a requirement for\nthe development of a stable, moderate Islamic state.\" \n While top-tier U.S. emphases in the region after September 2001 remain combating religious\nextremism and ending illicit weapons proliferation, the United States expresses a strong interest in\nthe improvement of Pakistan's human rights situation, especially as regards the restoration and\nstrengthening of democratic institutions. There is a debate among analysts over the exigency of this\nissue. Some observers urge patience, contending that a \"true\" democratic system will require time\nand that \"military-guided\" governance is required in an unstable setting and to deter extremist\npolitical influences. Others argue that Pakistan's underdeveloped democracy and rule of law are\nthemselves a central cause of the country's instability.\n October 2002 general elections nominally fulfilled President Musharraf's promise to restore the\nNational Assembly that was dissolved after his extra-constitutional seizure of power. A pro-military\nalliance won a plurality of seats while a coalition of Islamist parties made a surprisingly strong\nshowing. Yet subsequent developments -- including an agreement between Musharraf and the\nIslamist opposition to bring controversial constitutional changes before Parliament, a broken promise\nfrom Musharraf to resign his military commission before 2005, and widespread accusations of\nrigging in August 2005 municipal elections -- have fueled concerns that Pakistan's civilian\ndemocratic institutions are being weakened. National and provincial level elections are to take place\nin 2007.\n The 9/11 Commission Report called Musharraf's government the \"best hope\" for\nstability in\nPakistan and Afghanistan, and recommended the provision of long-term and comprehensive support\nto Pakistan so long as its government remains committed to combating extremism and to a policy\nof \"enlightened moderation.\" In passing the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of\n2004 ( P.L. 108-458 ), Congress broadly endorsed this recommendation and sought to encourage\nPakistan's transition to full democracy. The act also extended the President's authority to waive\ncoup-related sanctions on Pakistan through FY2006. See also CRS Issue Brief IB94041,\n Pakistan-U.S. Relations and CRS Report RL32259 , Terrorism in South\nAsia . This report will be\nupdated periodically.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL32615", "sha1": "2ccb6e050a9d4e59b7c249f463a56df525669437", "filename": "files/20050919_RL32615_2ccb6e050a9d4e59b7c249f463a56df525669437.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL32615", "sha1": "d22a8af8cb67d8fe19b434e6d2a06e9bd8ec983b", "filename": "files/20050919_RL32615_d22a8af8cb67d8fe19b434e6d2a06e9bd8ec983b.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs7426/", "id": "RL32615 2005-02-14", "date": "2005-02-14", "retrieved": "2005-10-18T14:03:11", "title": "Pakistan's Domestic Political Developments", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20050214_RL32615_8ab38306de8a41ed9f1d0a7ef548d1ad63df1e5a.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20050214_RL32615_8ab38306de8a41ed9f1d0a7ef548d1ad63df1e5a.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government", "name": "Politics and government" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Congress and foreign policy", "name": "Congress and foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - Pakistan - U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations - Pakistan - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Pakistan", "name": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Pakistan" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government - Pakistan", "name": "Politics and government - Pakistan" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Congress", "name": "Congress" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc807914/", "id": "RL32615_2004Oct25", "date": "2004-10-25", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Pakistan\u2019s Domestic Political Developments", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20041025_RL32615_d9b2a290c124c43d059317cedcc09c115a42df71.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20041025_RL32615_d9b2a290c124c43d059317cedcc09c115a42df71.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs7391/", "id": "RL32615 2004-10-05", "date": "2004-10-05", "retrieved": "2005-10-18T14:01:54", "title": "Pakistan's Domestic Political Developments", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20041005_RL32615_a69a49d21c2f616d60a655df41380a8a410bfd79.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20041005_RL32615_a69a49d21c2f616d60a655df41380a8a410bfd79.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government", "name": "Politics and government" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Congress and foreign policy", "name": "Congress and foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - Pakistan - U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations - Pakistan - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Pakistan", "name": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Pakistan" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government - Pakistan", "name": "Politics and government - Pakistan" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Congress", "name": "Congress" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Constitutional Questions", "Foreign Affairs", "Intelligence and National Security", "National Defense" ] }