1999 Pakistani coup d'état
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In October 1999, General Pervez Musharraf, Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan army launched a coup to topple Nawaz Sharif, then Prime Minister of Pakistan.
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[edit] Background
The tension between the Nawaz Sharif Administration and the army had been rising for some time. United States President Bill Clinton pressured Nawaz Sharif to withdraw Pakistani forces from Kargil in Indian-administered Kashmir. This was one of the main reasons for Nawaz Sharif's disagreements with the Pakistani army. There were also allegations of corruption against Sharif's administration.[citation needed]
[edit] The coup
On 12 October 1999, Sharif attempted to dismiss army chief Pervez Musharraf and install Inter-Services Intelligence director Lieutenant General Khwaja Ziauddin in his place. Musharraf, who was out of the country, boarded a commercial airliner to return to Pakistan. Senior Army generals including Lieutenant General Muhammad Aziz Khan, the then chief of general staff, Lieutenant General Mahmoud Ahmad, the then corps commander Rawalpindi, and Lieutenant General Muzaffar Usmani, the then corps commander Karachi sided with General Musharraf and refused his dismissal. Nawaz Sharif ordered the closure of Karachi Airport to prevent the landing of the aircraft, which then circled the skies over Karachi. In the coup d'état, these generals ousted Sharif's administration and took over the airport. The plane landed with only 7 minutes of fuel left to spare, and General Pervez Musharraf then assumed control of the government. General Musharraf arrested Nawaz Sharif and his cabinet ministers. Nawaz Sharif was eventually exiled to Saudi Arabia where he resided until he tried to return back to Pakistan on September 10, 2007.
[edit] Aftermath
On 12 May 2000 the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered Pervez Musharraf to hold general elections by 12 October 2002. In an attempt to legitimize his presidency and assure its continuance after the impending elections, he held a national referendum on 30 April 2002, which extended his presidential term to a period ending five years after the October elections. As of 2007, General Musharraf continues to hold post of the army chief and president of the Islamic Republic.
- Further information: 2007 Pakistani state of emergency
