1993 in Pakistan explained

The year 1993 saw political unrest within Pakistan as president Ghulam Ishaq Khan and prime minister Nawaz Sharif duelled for supremacy. Khan dissolved Sharif's government, only for it to be restored by a Supreme Court verdict.

While Pakistan moved closer to peaceful negotiations with Afghanistan, its relationships continued to worsen with India over the Kashmir issue and the 1993 Bombay bombings. Meanwhile, the United States imposes stricter sanctions on Pakistan and any country that traded with Pakistan.

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Incumbents

Federal government

• President
  • Ghulam Ishaq Khan: until 18 July 1993
  • Wasim Sajjad: 18 July – 13 November 1993 (caretaker)
  • Farooq Laghari: since 13 November 1993
• Prime Minister
  • Nawaz Sharif: until 18 April 1993
  • Balakh Sher Mazari: 18 April – 26 May 1993 (caretaker)
  • Nawaz Sharif: 26 May – 18 July 1993
  • Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi: 18 August – 19 October 1993 (caretaker)
  • Benazir Bhutto: since 19 October 1993
• Chief Justice

Muhammad Afzal Zullah (until 18 April), Nasim Hasan Shah

Governors

• Governor of Balochistan – Gul Mohammad Khan Jogezai (until 19 July); Abdur Rahim Durrani (starting 19 July)
• Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Amir Gulistan Janjua (until 19 July); Khurshid Ali Khan (starting 19 July)
• Governor of Punjab –
  • • • until 25 April: Mian Muhammad Azhar 25 April-19 July: Chaudhary Altaf Hussain
  • starting 19 July: Iqbal Khan
• Governor of Sindh – Hakeem Saeed (until 19 July); Mahmoud Haroon (starting 19 July)

Events

January

• 8 January – The United States decides against branding Pakistan a terrorist nation.^[1]
• 9 January – The US president-elect Bill Clinton gives Pakistan six months to refute Indian charges that it is sponsoring international terrorism.^[2]

February

• 5 February – Kashmir Solidarity Day is observed for the very first time in Pakistan.

March

• 7 March – Political groups from Afghanistan sign the Islamabad Accord in Pakistan, forming a coalition until elections can be held.^{[3] [4]}
• 17 March – Mian Zahid Sarfaraz demands an early dissolution of the National Assembly.^[5]
• 27 March – Hamid Nasir Chattha and three other ministers resign from the federal cabinet.

April

• 2 April – The Pakistan government vows to crack down on Arab militants.^[6]
• 4 April
  • India presents evidence implicating Pakistan in the 1993 Bombay bombings.^[7]
  • The federal cabinet nominates Ghulam Ishaq Khan as the president for a second term.
  • 3 MNAs resign from the National Assembly.
• 8 April
  • After a crack down on illegal immigrants, hundreds of Arab nationals are arrested on suspected links to Islamic militants.^[8]
  • 92 MNAs tender their resignation from the house.
• 13 April – Crack down continues against illegal Arab immigrants to prevent any extremists among them from using Pakistan to foment violence in other countries.^[9]
• 18 April
  • President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dissolves the National Assembly, dismissing the Sharif cabinet.
  • Balakh Sher Mazari is appointed the caretaker prime minister.
• 19 April – Federal ministers in the Mazari caretaker ministry are sworn into office and handed ministerial portfolios.

May

• 23 May – In record busts against drug smugglers in southeastern Balochistan, navy officers seize 132000lb of hashish and 440lb of heroin.^[10]
• 26 May – The Supreme Court restores the National Assembly and prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

June

• 5–24 June Pakistani soldiers are massacred in Somalia while serving with a UN peacekeeping mission.
• 16 June – Bosnian Muslim refugees leave Croatia for Pakistan.^[11]

July

• 18 July
  • After weeks of negotiations with army chief Gen Abdul Waheed Kakar, both president Khan and prime minister Sharif resign from their posts.
  • Wasim Sajjad becomes the caretaker president.
• 20 July – The US threatens to impose sanctions on China if it continues to ship missiles to Pakistan in defiance of an international agreement.^[12]

August

• 18 August – Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi becomes the caretaker prime minister.

October

• 6 October – General elections are held. PPP wins 86; PML-N secures 72 seats.
• 19 October – Benazir Bhutto becomes the prime minister by 121 votes for a second time.^[13]

November

• 4 November – Police arrest Murtaza Bhutto, the brother of PM Bhutto, moments after his plane landed in Pakistan ending his 16 years in exile.^[14]
• 9 November – Fire rages through the National Assembly building, destroying the main chamber. According to PTV, the cause is believed to be an electric short circuit.^[15]
• 13 November – Farooq Laghari is sworn in as the eighth elected president of Pakistan.
• 24 November – India and Pakistan agree to resume talks on the Kashmir issue.^[16]

December

• 16 December – Pakistan accuses India of stepping up attacks on civilians in Kashmir.^[17]
• 28 December – Pakistan begins a campaign to eradicate polio.^[18]

Births

• 4 October – Rehman Khalid, Pakistani baseball pitcher^[19]
• 7 November – Haris Rauf, Pakistani cricketer^[20]

Deaths

• 8 January – Gen Asif Nawaz dies of a heart attack in Rawalpindi.
• 18 March – Former prime minister Muhammad Khan Junejo dies in a hospital in the United States undergoing treatment for leukaemia.^[21]

Notes and References

1. News: George. Gedda. US decides against branding Pakistan a terrorist nation. Washington. Associated Press. 8 January 1993. 13 July 2014.
2. News: Kathy. Gannon. Clinton asks Pakistan to prove it does not back terrorism. Islamabad. Associated Press. 9 January 1993. 13 July 2014.
3. Web site: Afghanistan Human Rights Practices, 1993 – U.S. Department of State . 10 February 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080807175335/http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/democracy/1993_hrp_report/93hrp_report_sasia/Afghanistan.html . 7 August 2008 . dead .
4. http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/peace/Afg%2019930307.pdf Afghan Peace Accord (Islamabad Accords)
5. Web site: Nawaz Sharif (1990–1993); Perspective on Current Debate. Pakistani Spectator. 9 September 2009. 13 July 2014. 14 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714152223/http://www.pkhope.com/nawaz-sharif-1990-1993-perspective-on-current-debate/. dead.
6. News: Kathy. Gannon. Pakistan vows to expel thousands of Arab militants. Islamabad. Associated Press. 2 April 1993. 13 July 2014.
7. News: Vijay. Joshi. Newspapers: Evidence implicates Pakistan in Bombay blasts. New Delhi. Associated Press. 4 April 1993. 13 July 2014.
8. News: Kathy. Gannon. Pakistan cracks down on illegal Arabs. Islamabad. Associated Press. 7 April 1993. 13 July 2014.
9. News: Kathy. Gannon. Pakistan cracks down on illegal Arab immigrants. Peshawar. Associated Press. 13 April 1993. 13 July 2014.
10. News: Associated Press. Pakistan sets new record for drug busts. Islamabad. Associated Press. 23 May 1993. 13 July 2014.
11. News: Jasmina. Kuzmanovic. Bosnian Muslim refugees to leave Croatia for Pakistan. Associated Press. 16 June 1993. Promajna, Croatia. 13 July 2014.
12. News: Barry. Schweid. Sanctions threatened over sales to Pakistan. Washington. Associated Press. 20 July 1993. 13 July 2014.
13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7014433.stm Timeline: Pakistan's political rivals – BBC News
14. News: Zahid. Hussain. Bhutto's brother arrested after returning to Pakistan. Karachi. Associated Press. 4 November 1993. 13 July 2014.
15. News: Greg. Myre. Pakistan parliament burns. Islamabad. Associated Press. 9 November 1993. 13 July 2014.
16. News: Vijay. Joshi. India, Pakistan agree to resume talks on Kashmir. New Delhi. Associated Press. 24 November 1993. 13 July 2014.
17. News: Musfirah. Altaf. Pakistan accuses India of killing Kashmiri civilians. Islamabad. Associated Press. 16 December 1993. 13 July 2014.
18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/despatches/42751.stm Pakistan aims to eradicate Polio – BBC News Online: Despatches
19. Web site: Pakistan. World Baseball Classic. 12 October 2016.
20. https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/haris-rauf-1161606 Haris Rauf Pakistan|Bowler
21. News: Associated Press. Former prime minister dies in U.S.. Islamabad. Associated Press. 18 March 1993. 13 July 2014.