Timeline: Musharraf's Rule

Oct. 13, 1999:
Gen. Pervez Musharraf, the chief of the Pakistani army, ousts Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup after Mr. Sharif attempts to dismiss him.
Pakistan Army Seizes Power Hours After Prime Minister Dismisses His Military Chief
"Analysis: A Soldier's Soldier, Not a Political General"
Pakistan Ruler Seen as 'Secular-Minded' Muslim
June 20, 2001
Following the pattern of three of Pakistan's military rulers over the last 50 years, Gen. Musharraf appoints himself president and formal head of state.
Autumn 2001
After Sept. 11, 2001, Gen. Musharraf becomes one of Washington's most crucial allies in the campaign against terror, allowing the U.S. to work with Pakistani intelligence to arrest senior al Qaeda operatives inside Pakistan and granting permission to strike at al Qaeda targets in his nation's lawless tribal areas.
Pakistani Defends Joining With the U.S.
Musharraf, the Indispensable Ally, Grows More Confident
Pakistani Leader Seeks 'Gestures' for Backing U.S
Jan. 12, 2002
In a speech, Gen. Musharraf pledges that his country will not be used as a base for terrorism of any kind and announces a broad ban on militant groups accused of fomenting violence in Indian-held Kashmir, as well as at home.
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Text of the Speech
Apr. 5, 2002
Asserting that "I am not power hungry," President Pervez Musharraf announces that he will hold a referendum that would allow him to stay in power after Pakistan elects a new civilian Parliament.
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Aug. 22, 2002
Gen. Musharraf unilaterally redraws Pakistan's Constitution, imposing 29 amendments that expand his control of the country.
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Dec. 25, 2003
Gen. Musharraf escapes an assassination attempt, the second in 11 days, when two suicide bombers plow their vehicles into his motorcade and detonate car bombs in Rawalpindi.
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Mar. 2007
Facing elections in a few months time, Mr. Musharraf fires the Chief Justice, Mohammad Iftikhar Chaudhry, apparently out of fear that the judiciary might undermine his re-election. A tidal wave of support for Mr. Chaudhry from lawyers across the country turns into a vibrant anti-Musharraf campaign.
Suspension of Jurist Unleashes Furor Against Musharraf
Pakistan’s Suspended Justice Tells of Facing Down Musharraf
Musharraf Loses Fight Over Suspension of Judge
Nov. 3, 2007
General Musharraf declares a state of emergency in what appears to be an effort to reassert his fading power in the face of growing opposition from the country’s Supreme Court, political parties and hard-line Islamists.
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Nov. 29, 2007
A day after resigning as army chief, Gen. Musharraf is sworn in as a civilian president, leaving him with vastly reduced powers.
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Dec. 27, 2007
Benazir Bhutto, the Pakistani opposition leader and twice-serving prime minister, is assassinated.
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Times Topics: Benazir Bhutto
Timeline
Obituary
Feb. 18, 2008
Pakistanis deal a crushing defeat to President Musharraf in parliamentary elections, in what government and opposition politicians said is a firm rejection of his policies since 2001 and those of his close ally, the United States. Mr. Musharraf's party is routed, and a new government is formed by his enemies — Mr. Sharif and Ms. Bhutto's widower, Ali Asif Zardari.
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Slide Show
Times Topics: Pakistan Elections
Aug. 18, 2008
Under pressure over impending impeachment charges, President Musharraf announces he would resign
Source: NewYork Times