History of Pakistan (1947–present)

The History of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan began on 14 August 1947 when the country came into being in the form of the Dominion of Pakistan within the British Commonwealth as the result of the Pakistan Movement and the partition of India. While the history of the Pakistani nation according to the Pakistan government's official chronology started with the Islamic rule over Indian subcontinent by Muhammad ibn al-Qasim which reached its zenith during Mughal era. In 1947, Pakistan consisted of West Pakistan (today's Pakistan) and East Pakistan (today's Bangladesh). The President of All-India Muslim League and later the Pakistan Muslim League, Muhammad Ali Jinnah became Governor-General while the secretary general of the Muslim League, Liaquat Ali Khan became Prime Minister. The constitution of 1956 made Pakistan an Islamic democratic country.

Pakistan faced a civil war and Indian military intervention in 1971 resulting in the secession of East Pakistan as the new country of Bangladesh. The country has also unresolved territorial disputes with India, resulting in four conflicts. Pakistan was closely tied to the United States in the Cold War. In the Afghan–Soviet War, it supported the Afghan mujahideen and played a vital role in the defeat of Soviet Forces and forced them to withdraw from Afghanistan. The country continues to face challenging problems including terrorism, poverty, illiteracy, corruption and political instability.