Political History of Pakistan Trivia Quiz

Answer: 711

In 711 AD Mohammad bin Qasim, an Arab general and nephew of Hajjaj bin Yousuf, the caliph at that time, conquered Sindh, now one of Pakistan's provinces, and incorporated it into the Umayyad Caliphate.

Answer: 1857

The Rebellion initially began in Meerut, where Hindu and Muslim soldiers in the British army revolted. They captured Delhi and declared the aged Bahadur Shah "Zafar" II as their sole ruler. The Rebellion was crushed because of several reasons: the British were successful in capturing Delhi and Lucknow; Hindu-Muslim differences; the Sikhs' support for the British; and several Hindu and Muslim traitors among the revolutionaries' midst.

Answer: 1940

On March 23 1940, the Muslim League held its annual session at Lahore. The League made its first official demand for the partition of India. The Lahore Resolution called for an independent, sovereign, free Muslim state. The conference was presided over by Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

Answer: 1947

Pakistan was granted independence on August 14, 1947. During partition, many millions of Indian Muslims migrated to Pakistan and millions of Pakistani Hindus moved to India. This was a time of violence in the name of religion.

Answer: 1956

The Constitution of 1956, as it was called, provided for a single-chamber National Assembly with 300 seats, evenly divided between East and West Pakistan. It also designated Pakistan as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Answer: 1958

During Ayub's nearly ten year long regime, the government started land reforms that were designed to decrease the political power of the landed aristocracy. Ayub also proclaimed a progressive Islamic law, the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance of 1961, imposing restrictions on polygamy and divorce and reinforcing inheritance rights of women and minors.

Answer: 1965

The war continued for about six months. After the Tashkent Agreement, which was signed by leaders of both countries in Tashkent on January 1966, the two countries restored diplomatic, economic, and trade relations.

Answer: 1969

Ayub Khan declared martial law and resigned in March 1969. Instead of transferring power to the speaker of the National Assembly, as the constitution said, he handed it over to the commander-in-chief of the army, Gen. Muhammad Yahya Khan, who was the proclaimed martial-law administrator. Yahya then declared himself president.

Answer: 1971

President Yahya suspected Sheikh Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, an East Pakistani, of secessionist plans. The Pakistani army was sent into action against Mujib's followers, who demanded East Pakistan's independence. On December 3, 1971, India intervened, and on December 16, the Pakistani armies surrendered.

Answer: 1971

Yahya resigned after Pakistan lost to India. Elections in December 1971 brought Bhutto, leader of Pakistan's People's Party, to power. Yahya was placed under house-arrest for five years.

Answer: 1977

Zia imposed a martial law and Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was tried for backing the murder of a political opponent. He was found guilty and hanged April 4, 1979. Zia imposed strict Islamic law in Pakistan. Punishment for adultery, theft, homosexuality, and consumption of alcohol were very severe. Zia died in 1988 in a plane crash, suspectedly a sabotage by political opponents.

Answer: 1988

Benazir was the daughter of the former prime-minister, Zulfikar A. Bhutto. In 1990, her government was dismissed by the president, Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

Answer: 1993

In April 1993 Ishaq Khan tried to use his presidential power to dismiss Sharif and to dissolve parliament. However, Sharif appealed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and in May the court ruled Khan's actions unconstitutional and allowed Sharif to maintain his position. Sharif and Khan later became engaged in a power struggle that paralyzed the government.

In an agreement designed to end the deadlock, Sharif and Khan resigned together in July 1993.

Answer: 1996

Elections in February 1997 brought Nawaz Sharif back to victory. One of his first steps was to make a constitutional amendment that deprived the president of his/her power to dismiss the prime-minister. He was opposed by Pres. Laghari and Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. When the army showed support for Sharif, Laghari resigned and Shah was dismissed.

Answer: 1999

Sharif was tried for corruption and abuse of power and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was later allowed to live in exile in Saudi Arabia. In 2001, Musharraf assumed presidency. His reformist ideas were met with joy and appreciation by the Pakistani public.

After a referendum in April 2002, the people agreed with the extension of his presidency, which was supposed to end in October 2002, for five more years.