Present-day Pakistan is originally inhabited by Dravidian tribes, later accimagnied by Aryan tribes. Alexander the Great includes the Indus Valley in his empire of Macedon in 326 BC and his successors found the Indo-Greek kingdom of Bactria based in what is today Afghanistan and extending to Peshawar. Following the rise of the Central Asian Kushan Empire in later centuries, the Buddhist culture of Afghanistan and Pakistan, centered on the city of Taxila just east of Peshawar, experiences a cultural renaissance known as the Gandhara period. The Caliphate invades the region around 712, Turks around 1000 and Mongols, resulting in the Timurid Empire around 1398. In 1451 the Aghan Lodi dynasty rules the area. In 1526 Babur founds the Empire of the Great Mogul or Hind. Hind controls most of todays India and Pakistan.

Around the final collapse of the Mughal state in 1858, Britain conquers the area and creates British India, also styled the Empire of India since 1876. Pakistan emerges over an extended period of agitation by many muslims in the subcontinent to express their national identity free from British colonial domination as well as domination by what they perceived as a Hindu-controlled Indian National Congress. Muslim anti-colonial leaders form the All-India Muslim League (ML) in 1906. Initially, the League adopts the same objective as the Congress, self-government for India within the British Empire, but Congress and League are unable to agree on a formula that would ensure the protection of Muslim religious, economic and political rights. In 1919 limited forms of self-government are introduced, this is somewhat enlarged in 1935. At the same time most muslims demand a separate moslim state. In 1940 Mohammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the Muslim League, formally calls for the creation of an independent state in regions where Muslims constituted a majority. At the end of World War II, Britain moves with increasing urgency to grant India independence. The Congress Party and the Muslim League, however, don't agree on the terms for a constitution or establishing an interim government. In 1947 Britain declares that it will bestow full dominion status upon two successor states, India and Pakistan, formed from areas in the subcontinent in which muslims were the majority population. Under this arrangement, the various princely states can freely join either India or Pakistan.

Accordingly in 1947 the Dominion of Pakistan, comprising West Pakistan with the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP), and East Pakistan with the province of Bengal, becomes independent. The maharaja of Kashmir is reluctant to make a decision on accession to either Pakistan or India. However, armed incursions into the state by tribesman from the NWFP leads him to seek military assistance from India. The maharaja signed accession papers in 1947 and allowed Indian troops into much of the state. Pakistan refuses to recognize the accession and campaigns to reverse the decision. The status of Kashmir remains in dispute. Pakistan is a parliamentary democracy and Muhammad Ali Jinnah becomes the first governor general. He is assasinated in 1948. The first prime minister is Liaquat Ali Khan of the ML is succeeded in 1951 by Khwaja Nazimuddin, in 1953 by Mohammad Ali Bogra and in 1956 by Chaudhry Mohammad Ali.

In 1956 Pakistan becomes a republic as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In 1956 the Awami League takes over the premiership and Husayn Sahid Suhrawardi becomes prime minister. He is succeeded in 1957 by Ismail Ibrahim Chundrigar of the ML and later that year by Malik Firoz Khan Nun of the Jamhoori Watan Party (Republican Party, JWP). When Pakistan becomes a republic governor-general Iskander Mirza becomes president. Democracy is weak and instable. In 1958 president Iskander Mirza, with the support of the army, suspends the 1956 constitution, imposes martial law, and canceled the scheduled elections. The country is renamed Republic of Pakistan. He is sent into exile by the army and Mohammad Ayub Khan assumes control of a military dictatorship. Khan resigns in 1969 and hands over responsibility for governing to the Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan, who becomes president and chief martial law administrator.

General elections held in 1970 polarize relations between the eastern and western sections of Pakistan. The Awami League, which advocates autonomy for the more populous East Pakistan, sweaps the East Pakistan seats to gain a majority in Pakistan as a whole. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), founded and led Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, wins a majority of the seats in West Pakistan, but the country is completely split with neither major party having any support in the other area. When negotiations to form a coalition government break down a civil war ensues. With the support of India East Pakistan becomes independent in 1971 as Bangladesh.

Yahya Khan resigns and hands over leadership of the western part of Pakistan to Bhutto, who becomes president and the first civilian chief martial law administrator. In 1973 Bhutto promulgates a new constitution accepted by most political elements and relinquishes the presidency to become prime minister. Although Bhutto continued his populist and socialist rhetoric, he increasingly relied on Pakistan's urban industrialists and rural landlords.When Bhutto proclaims his own victory in the 1977 elections, the opposition Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) denounces the results as fraudulent and demands new elections. Bhutto resists and later arrests the PNA leadership. With increasing anti-government unrest, the army grows restive. Later that year the military removes Bhutto from power and Mohammad Zia ul-Haq seizs power. Announced elections are annulled and Bhutto is convicted and sentenced to death for alleged conspiracy to murder a political opponent. Zia assumes the presidency and banns political activity in 1979. During his rule between 1985 and 1988 Mohammad Khan Junejo of the PML is prime minister.

Zia dies later in 1988 in a flight accident. He is succeeded by Ghulam Ishaq Khan as acting president. He announces elections. The 1988 elections are won by the PPP and Benazir Bhutto forms a coalition government. The country is instable by a antagonistic relationship between the Bhutto administration and opposition governments in Punjab and Balochistan as well as ethnic conflicts. President Khan dismisses the Bhutto government in 1990 and after new elections the Islamic Democratic Alliance (IJI), a multi-party coalition led by the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), comes to power. Mohammad Nawaz Sharif becomes prime minister. His government is quite succesful, but in 1993 Khan dismisses the Nawaz Sharif government. This leads to the resignation of both the president and the prime minister. An interim government, headed by Moeen Qureshi, takes office. This government adopts political, economic and social reforms that generated considerable domestic support and foreign admiration.

The 1993 elections are won by the PPP. Benazir Bhutto forms a coalition government and here close associate, Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, is elected president. However, in 1996 Leghari dismisses the Bhutto government, charging it with corruption, mismanagement of the economy and implication in extrajudicial killings in Karachi. The 1997 elections are won by the Nawaz faction of the PML and Nawaz Sharif forms a government. Leghari resigns later that year and is succeeded by Rafiq Tarar. In 1999, after an attempt to replace Pervez Musharraf as chief of army staff, Musharraf grabs power. He becomes chief executive. In 2001 Tarar resigns and Musharrad becomes president. Although he keeps power, a parliamentary model is introduced in 2002. The elections of that year don't give real fair chances to the opposition. Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali of the pro-Mussarraf Quaid-i-Azam (like minded) faction of the PML becomes prime minister. He resigns in 2004 and is succeeded by Chaudry Shujat Hussain.