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Ayub Khan

Ayub Khan

Muhammad Ayub Khan (May 14 1907 – April 19 1974) was a Field Marshal during the mid-1960s, and the political leader of Pakistan from 1958 to 1969. He became Pakistan's first native Commander in Chief in 1951, and was the youngest full-rank general and self-appointed field marshall in Pakistan's military history. Not to be confused with Ayub Khan (Afghan commander), (1857 - 1914).

Early years

Khan was born in the village of Rehana near Haripur Hazara to an ethnic Pashtun family of the Tareen clan, the first child of the second wife of Mir Dad Khan, who was a Risaldar Major in Hodson's Horse. For his basic education, he was enrolled in a school in Sarai Saleh, which was about 4 miles from his village. He used to go to school on a mule's back. Later he was shifted to a school in Haripur, where he started living with his grandmother. He enrolled at Aligarh University in 1922, but never completed his studies, as he was accepted into the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He did well at Sandhurst, and was given an officer's post in the British Indian Armyand then joined the 1st Battalion of the 14 Punjab regiment (Sherdils), later known as 5 Punjab Regiment. During World War II he served as a captain and later as a major on the Burma front, from where according to Sher Ali Khan's autobiography The Story of Soldiering and Politics in India and Pakistan (Al Kitab, Lahore, Pakistan, page 114) he was "sent back" from his post with the Assam Regiment and Sir Gilbert Laithwaite's Note on General Ayub Khan, in the UK Public Record Office (ref: DO 35/8944 dated 28 October, 1958) "He was...a failure as a Commanding Officer (Lieutenant Colonel) on active service and had to be relieved.". Following the war, he joined the fledgling Pakistani Army as the 10th ranking senior officer (his Pakistan Army number was 10). He was promoted to Brigadier and commanded a brigade in Waziristan and then was sent initially with the local rank of Major General to East Pakistan as General Officer Commanding a division that was responsible for the whole East Wing of Pakistan in 1948 from where he returned in November 1949 as Adjutant General and then briefly was named Deputy Commander-in-Chief. Ayub Khan was made Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army on January 17, 1951, succeeding General Sir Douglas Gracey, thus becoming the first native Pakistani general to hold that position. He would later go on to serve in the second cabinet (1954) of Muhammad Ali Bogra as Defence Minister, and when Iskander Mirza declared martial law on October 7 1958, Khan was made its chief martial law administrator. This would be the first of many instances in the history of Pakistan of the military becoming directly involved in politics.

President of Pakistan (1958–1969)

As a result of his differences with Mirza, Khan gained more and more power, and became President of Pakistan after deposing Mirza on October 27 in a bloodless coup. This was actually welcomed in Pakistan, since the nation had experienced a very unstable political climate since independence. Khan soon adopted the titles of Hilal-e-Pakistan, and the rank of Field Marshal, the only Pakistani FM to date. Khan moved to have a constitution created, and this was done in 1961. The Constitution called for elections, which took place in 1962, when martial law was lifted. Khan's main opponent was Fatima Jinnah, the sister of Pakistan's founding father. Despite Jinnah's immense popularity, Khan won the majority of the vote; whether or not this was done without corruption is debatable. As President, Ayub Khan allied Pakistan with the global U.S. military alliance against the Soviet Union. This in turn led to major economic aid from the U.S. and European nations, and the industrial sector of Pakistan grew very rapidly, and this in turn improved the economy, as did Khan's educational and land reforms. It was under Ayub Khan that the capital was moved from Karachi to Rawalpindi, in anticipation of the construction of a new capital: Islamabad. In 1960, Khan's government signed the Indus Waters Treaty with archrival India to resolve disputes regarding the sharing of the waters of the six rivers in the Punjab doab that flow between the two countries. Khan's administration also built a major network of irrigation canals, high-water dams and thermal and hydroelectric power stations. Despite the treaty, Khan maintained icy relations with India. Khan established close political and military ties with Communist China, exploiting its differences with Soviet Russia and its 1962 war with India. To this day, China remains a strong economic, political and military ally of Pakistan. China, 1965 featuring Khan along with Lal Bahadur Shastri]] The turning point in Khan's rule was the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Khan, advised by his Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, attempted to flush Kashmir with militants and Pakistani soldiers. The Indian Army's response reached as close as the great city of Lahore and the bombing of the port of Karachi, and created much insecurity and resentment in the hearts of common Pakistanis. In addition, the settlement that was reached by Khan at Tashkent was seen as a loss for Pakistan. The settlement led Bhutto to resign his post and take up opposition to Khan. The war also adversely affected Pakistan's economy. Government corruption and nepotism, in addition to an environment of repression of free speech and political freedoms increased unrest. Khan began to increase censorship and his control over the nation even more. These actions only served to further agitate the Pakistani population, which fell into disarray of protests, strikes and rioting, and required the presence of the army in the cities. Bhutto used this to his political advantage, while the Awami League also made great political gains in East Pakistan. As Khan's popularity plummetted, he decided to give up rule. In 1969 he turned over control of Pakistan to General Yahya Khan, whom he had previously appointed chief martial law administrator.

Books

- Ayub Khan Friends Not Masters (Oxford University Press)

External links

- [http://pakistanspace.tripod.com/47.htm Chronicles Of Pakistan]
- [http://www.storyofpakistan.com/person.asp?perid=P017 Ayub Khan bio] Khan,Ayub Khan,Ayub Khan,Ayub Khan,Ayub Khan,Ayub Ayub Khan Ayub Khan

May 14

May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). There are 231 days remaining.

Events

- 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the de facto ruler of England.
- 1483 - Coronation of Charles VIII of France ("Charles l'Affable").
- 1509 - Battle of Agnadello: In northern Italy, French forces defeat the Venetians.
- 1607 - Jamestown, Virginia, is settled as an English colony.
- 1608 - Protestant Union founded in Auhausen.
- 1643 - Four year-old Louix XIV becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Louis XIII.
- 1747 - A British fleet under Admiral George Anson defeats the French at first battle of Cape Finisterre.
- 1787 - In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, delegates begin to meet to write a new Constitution for the United States.
- 1796 - Edward Jenner administers the first smallpox vaccination.
- 1804 - The Lewis and Clark Expedition departs from Camp Dubois and begin their historic journey by traveling up the Missouri River.
- 1811 - Paraguay gains independence from Spain.
- 1861 - The Canellas meteorite, an 859-gram chondrite-type meteorite strikes the earth near Barcelona, Spain.
- 1863 - American Civil War: Battle of Jackson (MS).
- 1870 - The first game of rugby in New Zealand is played in Nelson between Nelson College and the Nelson Rugby Football Club.
- 1889 - The children's charity the NSPCC is launched in London.
- 1900 - The 1900 Summer Olympics open in Paris.
- 1913 - New York Governor William Sulzer approves the charter for the Rockefeller Foundation, which begins operations with a $100 million donation from John D. Rockefeller.
- 1927 - Cap Arcona is launched at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg.
- 1929 - Wilfred Rhodes takes his 4000th first-class wicket during a performance of 9 for 39 at Leyton.
- 1931 - Ådalen shootings, five people are killed in Ådalen, Sweden, as soldiers open fire on an unarmed trade union manifestation.
- 1935 - The Filipinos ratify an independence agreement.
- 1939 - Lina Medina, becomes the world's youngest confirmed mother in medical history at the age of five.
- 1940 - World War II: Rotterdam is bombed by the German Luftwaffe.
- 1940 - World War II: The Netherlands surrender to Germany.
- 1948 - Israel declared to be an independent state and a provisional government is established.
- 1948 - The murder of a three-year-old girl in Blackburn, northern England, leads to the fingerprinting of more than 40,000 men in the city in an attempt to find the murderer.
- 1955 - Cold War: Eight communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, sign a mutual defence treaty called the Warsaw Pact.
- 1961 - American civil rights movement: Freedom Riders bus is fire-bombed near Anniston, Alabama, and the civil rights protestors are beaten by an angry mob.
- 1967 - Mickey Mantle becomes the sixth member of the 500 home run club with a home run at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York.
- 1970 - The Red Army Faction is established in Germany.
- 1973 - Skylab, the United States' first space station, is launched. It is the last launch of the Saturn V rocket.
- 1978 - First round of the presidential elections in Upper Volta.
- 1981 - Concert in Caracas of El Trabuco Venezolano and Irakere (First day).
- 1985 - Popular Hong Kong actress Barbara Yung Mei-ling was found unconscious from gas inhalation in her apartment at Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. She was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.
- 1995 - Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama proclaims six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the eleventh reincarnation of the Panchen Lama.
- 1998 - After nine years on the air, the series finale of the television sitcom Seinfeld airs on NBC.
- 2002 - Ten members of the Darwin-based Network Against Prohibition invade the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory of Australia.
- 2004 - The marriage of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark and Mary Donaldson takes place in Copenhagen.
- 2004 - Piers Morgan is fired as editor of the Daily Mirror, when photographs that had been published in the newspaper of alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners by British soldiers were proved to be fake.
- 2004 - Insurgents or terrorists in Iraq detonate a 155 mm shell containing several liters of binary precursors for sarin. The shell was designed to mix the chemicals as it spun during flight and the explosion failed to mix them properly. Although it only resulted in a small release of sarin, two U.S. soldiers are treated for exposure after displaying the early symptoms.
- 2005 - Pope Benedict XVI observes his first beatification, elevating Blessed Marianne of Molokai on the road to canonization into sainthood
- 2005 - Nintendo opens up its first retail store, Nintendo World, in Rockefeller Center in New York City. They celebrate the grand opening with a block party in Rockefeller Plaza.

Births

- 1265 - Dante Alighieri, Italian poet (d. 1321)
- 1316 - Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1378)
- 1553 - Margaret of Valois, queen of Henry IV of France (d. 1615)
- 1666 - Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia (d. 1732)
- 1686 - Gabriel Fahrenheit, Dutch scientist (d. 1736)
- 1699 - Hans Joachim von Zieten, Prussian field marshal (d. 1786)
- 1701 - William Emerson, English mathematician (d. 1782)
- 1703 - David Brearly, delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention (d. 1785)
- 1710 - King Adolf Frederick of Sweden (d. 1771)
- 1727 - Thomas Gainsborough, English artist (d. 1788)
- 1771 - Robert Owen, Welsh social reformer (d. 1858)
- 1832 - Rudolf Lipschitz, German mathematician (d. 1903)
- 1867 - Kurt Eisner, German politician and publicist (d. 1919)
- 1885 - Otto Klemperer, German-born conductor (d. 1973)
- 1897 - Sidney Bechet, American musician (d. 1959)
- 1904 - Hans Albert Einstein, American professor (d. 1973)
- 1907 - Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan (d. 1974)
- 1917 - Lou Harrison, American composer (d. 2003)
- 1921 - Richard Deacon, actor (d. 1984)
- 1922 - Franjo Tuđman, President of Croatia (d. 1999)
- 1929 - Gump Worsley, Canadian hockey player
- 1931 - Alvin Lucier, American composer
- 1934 - Siân Phillips, Welsh actress
- 1936 - Bobby Darin, American singer (d. 1973)
- 1942 - Byron Dorgan, U.S. Senator
- 1942 - Tony Perez, baseball player
- 1943 - Jack Bruce, singer, songwriter and bassist (Cream, Manfred Mann)
- 1943 - Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland
- 1944 - George Lucas, American film director and producer
- 1946 - Eric Peterson, Canadian actor
- 1948 - Bob Woolmer, Indian-born cricket coach
- 1952 - David Byrne, American singer, songwriter, and guitarist (Talking Heads)
- 1952 - Robert Zemeckis, American film director
- 1953 - Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia
- 1953 - Tom Cochrane, Canadian singer, songwriter, and guitarist (Red Rider)
- 1959 - Patrick Bruel, French singer
- 1960 - Steve Williams, American professional wrestler
- 1961 - Tim Roth, English actor
- 1962 - Ian Astbury, English singer (The Cult)
- 1965 - Eoin Colfer, Irish writer
- 1966 - Raphael Saadiq, American music artist
- 1967 - Tony Siragusa, American football player
- 1969 - Cate Blanchett, Australian actress
- 1971 - Sofia Coppola, American film writer and director
- 1977 - Roy Halladay, baseball player
- 1977 - Ada Nicodemou, Australian actress
- 1981 - Sarbel, Greek-born singer
- 1983 - Amber Tamblyn, American actress

Deaths

- 964 - Pope John XII
- 1470 - King Charles VIII of Sweden (b. 1409
- 1608 - Charles II, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1543)
- 1610 - King Henry IV of France (assassinated) (b. 1553)
- 1643 - King Louis XIII of France (b. 1601)
- 1649 - Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian (b. 1600)
- 1669 - Georges de Scudéry, French writer (b. 1601)
- 1688 - Antoine Furetière, French writer (b. 1619)
- 1754 - Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée, French writer (b. 1692)
- 1761 - Thomas Simpson, British mathematician (b. 1710)
- 1818 - Matthew Lewis, English novelist (b. 1775)
- 1847 - Fanny Mendelssohn, German composer and pianist (b. 1805)
- 1860 - Ludwig Bechstein, German writer (b. 1801)
- 1887 - Lysander Spooner, American philosopher (b. 1808)
- 1889 - Volney E. Howard, American politician (b. 1809)
- 1906 - Carl Schurz, German revolutionary and American statesman (b. 1829)
- 1912 - King Frederick VIII of Denmark (b. 1843)
- 1912 - August Strindberg, Swedish author (b. 1849)
- 1919 - Henry John Heinz, founder of the H. J. Heinz Company (b. 1844)
- 1923 - Charles de Freycinet, French prime minister (b. 1828)
- 1925 - H. Rider Haggard, English author (b. 1856)
- 1931 - David Belasco, American theatrical producer and playwright (b. 1853)
- 1936 - Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, British general (b. 1861)
- 1940 - Emma Goldman, Lithuanian-born anarchist and feminist (b. 1869)
- 1943 - Henri La Fontaine, Belgian lawyer and activist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1854)
- 1945 - Heber J. Grant, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1856)
- 1954 - Heinz Guderian, German General (b. 1888)
- 1957 - Marie Vassilieff, Russian artist (b. 1884)
- 1959 - Sidney Bechet, American musician (b. 1897)
- 1968 - Husband E. Kimmel, American admiral (b. 1882)
- 1969 - Frederick Lane, Australian swimmer (b. 1888)
- 1973 - Jean Gebser, German-born author, linguist, and poet (b. 1905)
- 1976 - Keith Relf, British singer and musician (The Yardbirds) (b. 1943)
- 1978 - Robert Menzies, twelfth Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1894)
- 1980 - Roger J. Traynor, American judge (b. 1900)
- 1987 - Rita Hayworth, American actress (b. 1918)
- 1988 - Willem Drees, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1886)
- 1995 - Christian B. Anfinsen, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
- 1997 - Harry Blackstone Jr., American magician (b. 1934)
- 1998 - Frank Sinatra, American singer and actor (b. 1915)
- 2000 - Obuchi Keizo, Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1937)
- 2003 - Dave DeBusschere, American basketball player (b. 1940)
- 2003 - Dame Wendy Hiller, British actress (b. 1912)
- 2003 - Robert Stack, American actor (b. 1919)

Holidays and observances

- Paraguay - Flag Day
- Israel - Yom Ha'atzma'ut, or Israeli Independence Day. The observed date of this national holiday is determined by the Jewish Calendar.
- Mother's Day (certain countries) - 2000, 2006
- World Fair Trade Day (2005)

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/14 BBC: On This Day]
-
- [http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/20050514.html The New York Times: On This Day] ---- May 13 - May 15 - April 14 - June 14 – listing of all days ko:5월 14일 ja:5月14日 simple:May 14 th:14 พฤษภาคม

April 19

April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). There are 256 days remaining.

Events

- 1012 - Martyrdom of St Alphege in Greenwich, London.
- 1529 - At the Diet of Speyer, a group of rulers (German: Fürst) and independent cities (German: Reichsstadt) protests the reinstatement of the Edict of Worms, beginning the Protestant movement.
- 1587 - Sir Francis Drake sinks the French fleet in Cádiz Harbor.
- 1692 - Bridget Bishop's (in Salem, MA--accused of being a witch) trial.
- 1713 - With no living male heirs, Emperor Charles VI issues the Pragmatic Sanction to ensure that Habsburg lands and the Austrian throne would be inherited by his daughter, Maria Theresa.
- 1775 - American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Lexington and Concord – British General Thomas Gage attempts to confiscate American colonists' firearms. Captain John Parker orders his band of minutemen to not fire unless fired upon. Random shots rang out among the British soldiers. The minutemen promptly fired back. This was the "shot heard round the world." The British are driven back to Boston, Massachusetts, thus beginning the American Revolutionary War.
- 1809 - The army of Austria attacks and is defeated by the forces of the Duchy of Warsaw in the Battle of Raszyn, part of the struggles of the Fifth Coalition.
- 1810 - Venezuela achieves home rule: Emparan, Governor of the Captaincy General is removed by the people of Caracas and a Junta is installed.
- 1839 - The Treaty of London establishes Belgium as a kingdom.
- 1861 - American Civil War: A pro-Secession mob in Baltimore, Maryland, attacks United States Army troops marching through the city.
- 1892 - Charles Duryea claims to have driven the first automobile in the United States, in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- 1904 - Much of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is destroyed by fire.
- 1909 - Joan of Arc receives beatification.
- 1919 - Leslie Irvin of the United States makes the first successful parachute jump and free fall.
- 1927 - Mae West is sentenced to 10 days in jail for obscenity for her play Sex.
- 1928 - The 125th and final fascicle of the Oxford English Dictionary is published.
- 1933 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt announces that the United States will be abandoning the gold standard.
- 1934 - Shirley Temple debuts in Stand Up and Cheer.
- 1938 - RCA–NBC begins regular television broadcasts.
- 1943 - World War II: In Poland, German troops enter the Warsaw ghetto to round up the remaining Jews, beginning the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
- 1943 - Bicycle Day – Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann deliberately takes LSD for the first time.
- 1950 - Argentina becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
- 1951 - General Douglas MacArthur retires from the military.
- 1956 - Actress Grace Kelly marries Rainier III of Monaco.
- 1960 - Students in South Korea hold a nationwide pro-democracy protest against their president Syngman Rhee, eventually forcing him to resign.
- 1961 - The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba ends in failure.
- 1971 - Sierra Leone becomes a republic, and Siaka Stevens the president.
- 1971 - Vietnam War: Vietnam Veterans Against the War begin a five-day demonstration in Washington, DC.
- 1971 - Charles Manson is sentenced to life in prison for the Sharon Tate murders.
- 1971 - Launch of Salyut 1, first human-made space station.
- 1978 - Lagumot Harris is elected President of Nauru.
- 1980 - In The Hague, Netherlands, Johnny Logan wins the twenty-fifth Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland singing "What's Another Year".
- 1989 - A gun turret explodes on the USS Iowa, killing 47 sailors.
- 1989 - Trisha Meili, the "Central Park Jogger" is raped.
- 1993 - The 50-day siege of the Branch Davidian building outside Waco, Texas, USA, ends when a fire breaks out. Eighty-one people die.
- 1995 - Oklahoma City bombing: The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, is bombed, killing 168.
- 1999 - The German Bundestag returns to Berlin.
- 2000 - An Air Philippines Boeing 737-200 crashes near Davao International Airport, killing 131.
- 2005 - Joseph Ratzinger elected Pope Benedict XVI on the second day of the Papal conclave.

Births

- 1320 - King Peter I of Portugal (d. 1367)
- 1452 - King Ferdinand II of Aragon (d. 1504)
- 1603 - Michel le Tellier, French statesman (d. 1685)
- 1658 - Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine (d. 1716)
- 1665 - Jacques Lelong, French bibliographer (d. 1721)
- 1686 - Vasily Tatishchev, Russian statesman (d. 1750)
- 1721 - Thomas McKean, signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence (d. 1817)
- 1721 - Roger Sherman, signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence (d. 1793)
- 1785 - Alexandre Pierre François Boëly, French composer (d. 1858)
- 1793 - Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria (d. 1875)
- 1832 - José Echegaray y Eizaguirre, Spanish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1916)
- 1874 - Ernst Rüdin, Swiss psychiatrist, geneticist, and eugenicist (d. 1952)
- 1882 - Getúlio Vargas, President of Brazil (d. 1954)
- 1883 - Richard von Mises, Austrian-born mathematician (d. 1953)
- 1892 - Germaine Tailleferre, French composer (d. 1983)
- 1897 - Peter de Noronha, Indian businessman and philanthropist (d. 1970)
- 1897 - Constance Talmadge, American actress (d. 1973)
- 1899 - George O'Brien, American actor (d. 1985)
- 1900 - Richard Hughes, English novelist (d. 1976)
- 1903 - Eliot Ness, American lawman (d. 1957)
- 1912 - Glenn Seaborg, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1999)
- 1919 - Merce Cunningham, American dancer and choreographher
- 1922 - Erich Hartmann, German pilot (d. 1993)
- 1925 - Hugh O'Brian, American actor
- 1928 - Alexis Korner, English musician (d. 1984)
- 1930 - Dick Sargent, American actor (d. 1994)
- 1933 - Dickie Bird, English cricket umpire
- 1933 - Jayne Mansfield, American actress (d. 1967)
- 1935 - Dudley Moore, English actor, musician, comedian, composer (d. 2002)
- 1936 - Wilfried Martens, Prime Minister of Belgium
- 1937 - Elinor Donahue, American actress
- 1937 - Joseph Estrada, actor and President of the Philippines
- 1944 - James Heckman, American economist, Nobel Prize
- 1944 - Bernie Worrell, American keyboardist (P Funk)
- 1946 - Tim Curry, British actor
- 1947 - Murray Perahia, American pianist
- 1952 - Alexis Arguello, Nicaraguan boxer
- 1953 - Ruby Wax, British television personality
- 1960 - Roger Merrett, Australian footballer
- 1960 - Frank Viola, baseball player
- 1962 - Al Unser, Jr., American race car driver
- 1965 - Suge Knight, American record producer
- 1967 - Steven H Silver, American science fiction editor
- 1967 - Greg Ferrara, Independent Filmmaker, writer
- 1967 - Dar Williams, American musician and songwriter
- 1968 - Mswati III, King of Swaziland
- 1968 - Ashley Judd, American actress
- 1970 - Kelly Holmes, English athlete
- 1970 - Luis Miguel, Puerto Rican singer
- 1972 - Rivaldo, Brazilian footballer
- 1975 - Jason Gillespie, Australian cricketer
- 1975 - Jussi Jaaskelainen, Finnish footballer
- 1978 - James Franco, American actor
- 1978 - Gabriel Heinze, Argentinian footballer
- 1979 - Kate Hudson, American actress
- 1981 - Hayden Christensen, Canadian actor
- 1981 - Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombian actress
- 1987 - Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis player

Deaths

- 1012 - Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 954)
- 1054 - Pope Leo IX (b. 1002)
- 1390 - King Robert II of Scotland (b. 1316)
- 1560 - Philipp Melanchthon, German humanist and reformer (b. 1497)
- 1578 - Uesugi Kenshin, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1530)
- 1588 - Paolo Veronese, Italian painter
- 1608 - Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset, English statesman and poet (b. 1536)
- 1627 - John Beaumont, English poet (b. 1583)
- 1629 - Sigismondo d'India, Italian composer
- 1632 - King Sigismund I of Sweden (b. 1561)
- 1686 - Antonio de Solís y Ribadeneyra, Spanish writer (b. 1610)
- 1689 - Queen Christina of Sweden (b. 1626)
- 1733 - Elizabeth Villiers, mistress of William III of England
- 1768 - Canaletto, Italian artist (b. 1697)
- 1791 - Richard Price, Welsh philosopher (b. 1723)
- 1813 - Benjamin Rush, physician, activist (b. 1745)
- 1824 - George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, English poet (b. 1788)
- 1881 - Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1804)
- 1882 - Charles Darwin, English biologist (b. 1809)
- 1906 - Pierre Curie, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1859)
- 1914 - Charles Sanders Peirce, American philosopher and mathematician (b. 1839)
- 1916 - Ephraim Shay, American inventor (b. 1839)
- 1926 - Alexander Alexandrovich Chuprov, Russian statistician (b. 1874)
- 1930 - Georges-Casimir Dessaulles, Canadian senator (b. 1827)
- 1937 - William Martin Conway, British art critic and mountaineer (b. 1856)
- 1949 - Ulrich Salchow, Swedish figure skater (b. 1877)
- 1950 - Ernst Robert Curtius, Alsatian philologist (b. 1886)
- 1967 - Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
- 1971 - Russ Hodges, American sports broadcaster (b. 1910)
- 1971 - Earl Thomson, Canadian athlete (b. 1895)
- 1973 - Hans Kelsen, Austrian-born legal theorist
- 1974 - Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan (b. 1907)
- 1975 - Percy L. Julian, American chemist (b. 1899)
- 1987 - Hugh Brannum, American actor (b. 1910)
- 1987 - Maxwell D. Taylor, American general and diplomat (b. 1901)
- 1989 - Daphne du Maurier, English author (b. 1907)
- 1992 - Frankie Howerd, English comedian and actor (b. 1917)
- 1993 - David Koresh, American cult leader (b. 1959)
- 1998 - Octavio Paz, Mexican diplomat and writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)
- 2002 - Layne Staley, American musician (b. 1967)
- 2004 - Norris McWhirter, Scottish co-founder of the Guinness Book of Records (b. 1925)
- 2004 - John Maynard Smith, English bioligist (b. 1920)
- 2005 - Ruth Hussey, American actress (b. 1911)
- 2005 - Bryan Ottoson, American musician (b. 1978)
- 2005 - Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Danish jazz bassist (b. 1946)

Holidays and observances

- Patriots Day (Massachusetts, Maine, and Wisconsin, USA)
- Declaration of Independence Day (Venezuela)
- Republic Day (Sierra Leone)
- Landing of the 33 (Uruguay)
- Feast day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church:
- Saint Emma
- George of Antioch
- Ursmar
- Expeditus
- Primrose Day (England) – primroses are placed on the statue of Benjamin Disraeli in Parliament Square, London on the anniversary of his death (1881). There was a mistaken idea that the primrose was Lord Beaconsfield's favourite flower, since Queen Victoria sent them to his funeral.
- The Roman holiday of Cerealia ends. (Roman Empire)
- Bicycle Day
- Easter Sunday 1908, 1981, 1987, 1992. In the Gregorian Calendar Easter Sunday falls on 19 April more often than on any other date.

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/19 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.tnl.net/when/4/19 Today in History: April 19] ---- April 18 - April 20 - March 19 - May 19 – listing of all days ko:4월 19일 ms:19 April ja:4月19日 simple:April 19 th:19 เมษายน

Field Marshal

A Field Marshal (sometimes incorrectly spelled Marshall) is a military officer of the highest rank, one step above a full General, Army General or Colonel General. It is of a comparable rank to the similar position of General of the Army. The rank of Marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the King's horses (mare scalci) from the time of the early Frankish Kings. Some nations use the title of Marshal instead. The Air Force equivalent is Marshal of the Air Force. While there is no exact corresponding naval rank, Fleet Admiral, Grand Admiral and Admiral of the Fleet are close approximations. Until the end of World War II, Japan also bestowed the honorary title of Field Marshal (元帥 gensui) on successful generals and admirals; they would, however, retain their ranks of general and admiral.

Field Marshal ranks

- Field Marshal (Australia)
- Generalfeldmarschall (Germany and Austria)
- Field Marshal (India)
- Field Marshal (Malaysia)
- Field Marshal (New Zealand)
- Field Marshal (Pakistan)
- Field Marshal (Philippines)
- Field Marshal (Russia)
- Field Marshal (South Africa)
- Field Marshal (Uganda)
- Field Marshal (United Kingdom)

Fictional Field Marshals

The rank of Surface Marshal is a science fiction equivalent to the present day rank of Field Marshal, and is found in several science fiction sources, most notably Star Wars. The rank of Grand Marshal is another title which has appeared in some science fiction sources and also rarely in the militaries of actual countries. The title of Grand Marshal may also be found in several fraternity organizations, normally held by the head of the organization. The rank of Sky Marshal is featured in Robert Heinlein's science fiction/philosophy masterpiece, Starship Troopers. In the book, a potential Sky Marshal is required to rise through the ranks in both the Army and the Navy before consideration for Sky Marshal.

Other meanings

- "Marshal" and "Marshall" are both common surnames, held by such notable figures as William Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke, and George C. Marshall, the United States Army Chief of Staff during World War II.
- A Marshal is also the name for a law enforcement officer, such as members of the United States Marshals Service, or Sky marshals who serve as undercover law enforcement onboard commercial aircraft.
- In the Royal Air Force and other air forces which use their rank system, Air Vice-Marshal, Air Marshal and Air Chief Marshal are equivalent ranks to Major General, Lieutenant General and General respectively.
- The Field Marshall is a model of agricultural tractor. The badge shows a Marshal's baton held by an arm.

Pakistan

:See 2005 Kashmir earthquake for the 8 October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: اسلامی جمہوریۂ پاکستان, islāmī jamhūriya i pākistān), or Pakistan (Urdu: پاکستان, pākistān) is a country located in South Asia that overlaps onto the Greater Middle East and Central Asia. The country borders India, Afghanistan, Iran (Persia), China and the Arabian Sea. The name of the country "Pakistan" in Urdu and Persian means Land of the Pure. With around 163 million inhabitants, it is the sixth most populous country with the second largest Muslim population. It is a member of the UN, Commonwealth of Nations, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

History

See main article for detailed information: History of Pakistan (Including pre-history, civilizations of the region, and modern events to date) Related articles: History of South Asia, History of Iran, History of India, History of Afghanistan History of Afghanistan, was center of Indus Valley Civilization, 2600 BCE – 1800 BCE]] Pakistan is the birthplace of some of the most ancient civilizations and a strategic center of historic trade routes, including the Silk Road. It exists in a region whose history has overlapped that of many empires (e.g Mughals) and also of countries including India, Afghanistan and Persia (Iran). As one of the cradles of human civilization, the Pakistani region has long been at the crossroads of history. Pakistan was the site of the Indus Valley civilization and was subsequently conquered by many groups, including Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Greco-Bactrians, Kushans, White Huns, and Scythians. This period saw the country advance in trade and culture to a level where the Gandhara region and the great city of Taxila (Takshashila) became a great center of learning and development.

Ancient History

Nearly all of ancient Pakistan was ruled by the Persian Achaemenid dynasty for over two hundred years beginning in 540 BCE. In 326 BCE, Alexander the Great defeated the Punjabi king Porus (Paurava) at the Hydaspes near Jhelum. After Alexander's death and brief Seleucid control, Chandragupta Maurya gained control of the territory. His grandson Ashoka is known as to have been one of the major proselytizers of Buddhism which spread in the region. After the last ruler of the Mauryan dynasty was overthrown in 185 BCE, 185 BCE-171 BCE), founder of the Indo-Greek kingdom]] Demetrius of Bactria conquered Gandhara and Punjab in 184 BCE, establishing an Indo-Greek kingdom that lasted nearly two centuries, until around 10 BCE. To the south, this kingdom captured Sindh and extended to the coast of the Arabian Sea. One of the prominent Greco-Bactrian kings was Menander, who ruled from 155 to 130 BCE and is believed to have been a convert to Buddhism. His territories covered the eastern dominions of the divided Greek empire of Bactria (from the areas of the Panjshir and Kapisa, now in Afghanistan) and extended to the Pakistani province of Punjab with diffuse tributaries to the south and east, possibly even as far as Mathura in modern India. Sagala (modern Sialkot) became his capital and propered greatly under Menander's rule. The last Greek king to rule independently was probably Strato II, whose reign ended about 10 CE. Various Greek kings ruled into the beginning of the 1st century CE, as petty rulers (such as Theodamas) and as administrators, after the area was conquered by various Central Asian groups, most notably the Tocharian Kushans. The Kushan kingdom stretched from modern-day Uzbekistan to northwestern India. The kingdom was founded by King Heraios, and greatly expanded by his successor, Kujula Kadphises. Kadphises' son Vima Takto conquered territory now in India, but lost much of the western parts of the kingdom, including Gandhara, to the Parthian king Gondophares. Later invaders included the Scythians, and White Huns. While the Punjab remained under the Huns and Scythians, the Sassanian Persian Empire then came to control most of western Pakistan and parts of Sind came under the rule of Hindu rajas.

Arrival of Islam

In the eighth century CE, the arrival of the Arab Muslims to the provinces of Sindh and Punjab set the stage for the geographic boundaries of the modern state of Pakistan and formed the foundation for Islamic rule which quickly spread across much of South Asia. Following the rule of various Islamic empires, including the Ghaznavid Empire, the Ghorid kingdom, and the Delhi Sultanate, the region was controlled by the Mughals from 1526 until 1739. From 1739 until the early 19th century the entire area was ruled briefly by Nadir Shah and then by the Afghans and then later the Baluchis and Sikhs came to control Sind and the Punjab.

British rule

To the east, the British had arrived and formed the British East India Company which would eventually spearhead a colonial dominion over South Asia. The Mughal Empire was then at a decline and the eventual collapse of the anti-British struggle by the Muslim leader Tipu Sultan from 1749 to 1799 left the remnants of the Mughal Empire vulnerable. The British did not gain strong footholds in the Pakistani region until the early 19th century and annexed the entire area during the Great Game rivalry with the Russian empire. The Indian War of Independence in 1857 was the last South Asian armed struggle against the British, while the Anglo-Afghan wars continued into the 20th century. After crushing the struggle the British dubbed the event the "Sepoy Mutiny". Even though the War of Independence was a joint Muslim-Hindu struggle to oust the British, the brunt of British retaliation was directed at the Muslim population of the empire employing the infamous "Divide and rule" policy. This suppression and subjugation helped set the stage for the creation of Pakistan - an Islamic state for the Muslims of British India. The greatest proponent of this became Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who later earned the title of Quaid-e-Azam (Urdu: قائد اعظم) meaning "great leader" and founder of Pakistan.

Independence and After Independence

After a 60 year formal and generally unarmed struggle for independence, Pakistan came into existence on 14th August 1947 from the British Empire. The British divided up the Indian empire into three parts: the central part, with a Hindu majority, became modern-day India, the western part along with parts of the Punjab became West Pakistan, while East Bengal (the Muslim majority part of Bengal) became East Pakistan. The Partition of India is believed by many to have been mishandled by the British since it resulted in the worst ever recorded communal riots in the region and perhaps one of the worst in modern history. An estimated 1 to 5 million Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and others in former British India lost their lives as a direct consequence and millions more became refugee migrants to the newly formed Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Due to a hasty British retreat and mishandling of the independence of its former colonies, various disputes would remain between India and Pakistan involving Kashmir and the Rann of Kutch (Sir Creek) regions. Both nations have fought three all out wars due to these unsettled issues. Other inherited legacies of British rule included the Durand Line debate regarding the border with Afghanistan. In 1971, economic and political discontent in East Pakistan – geographically separated from West Pakistan by India – and violent political repression escalated into a civil war (see Bangladesh Liberation War) in East Pakistan and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, resulting in the secession of East Pakistan, which formed the independent state of Bangladesh. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 created a large influx of refugees fleeing to Pakistan from Afghanistan; the largest in the world. In one of the largest covert operations in history, Pakistan and the United States supported anti-Soviet freedom fighters in Afghanistan, and the Soviets withdrew in the late 1980s. Politically since its formation, Pakistan has oscillated between democratic and military rule, while making some impressive recent economic strides.

Origin of the name

The name was coined by Cambridge student and Muslim nationalist Choudhary Rahmat Ali. He devised the word and first published it on January 28, 1933 in the pamphlet Now or Never [http://www.zyworld.com/slam33/non.htm]. He saw it as an acronym formed from the names of the "homelands" of Muslims in South Asia. (P for Punjab, A for the Afghan areas of the region, K for Kashmir, S for Sindh and tan for Baluchistan, thus forming 'Pakstan.' An 'i' was later added to the English rendition of the name to ease pronunciation, producing Pakistan.) The word also captured in the Persian language the concepts of "Pak" meaning "Pure" and "stan" for "land" or "home" (as in the names of Central Asian countries in the region; Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, etc), thus giving it the meaning Land of the Pure. All Arabic-speaking countries refer to Pakistan as باکستان (Bakstaan), as the Arabic alphabet lacks the letter "P."

Politics

Domestic Politics

Main article: Politics of Pakistan

Form of Government

Politics of Pakistan Constitutionally a federal republic, with considerable autonomy to the four Provinces – Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, and NWFP (North West Frontier Province) (Sarhad) and the state of [http://www.ajk.gov.pk Azad Kashmir] (Azad meaning Free in Urdu). The upper house is called the Senate, which has 100 seats equally distributed among the four provinces of Pakistan, with reserved seats for women and religious minorities, who may also contest the general seats. The lower house is called the National Assembly of Pakistan and has 342 seats including reserved seats for religious and ethnic minorities and women. National Assembly elections were held in October 2002, and Senate elections in February 2003. One notable outcome was the election of 91 women to Parliament – the largest number (and the largest percentage) of women in the parliament of any Muslim-majority country, according to data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union. [http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm] Members of the National Assembly are elected for five-year terms. The National Assembly elects the Prime Minister of Pakistan, who then appoints selected members of the National Assembly and Senate as federal ministers in the cabinet. The Electoral College of Pakistan – consisting of the Senate, National Assembly, and the provincial assemblies – elects the President of Pakistan, who is the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. The President’s appointment and term are constitutionally independent of the Prime Minister’s term. Each province has a Provincial Assembly which is elected for five year terms through competitive multi-party elections, and which in turn elects a Chief Minister – the executive head of the province. Provinces also have governors who are appointed by the Federal Government.

Political Parties

Commander in Chief Before and during the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the secular and centrist Pakistan Muslim league supported the creation of Pakistan while the far-right religious parties such as the Shia Conference , Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind and leaders such as Maulana Azad opposed the creation of Pakistan and supported a united India. The liberal, leftist Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) emerged as a major political player during the 1970s. During 80s, a new political anti-feudal movement started by unorthodox and educated urban dwellers of Sindh, specially Karachi, now known as MQM. Currently, the largest party in Parliament is the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) and the second largest is the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP). The PML-Q obtained a plurality in the October 2002 elections. Besides these major players, there are several other political parties active in Pakistan. See also: List of political parties in Pakistan

Foreign Relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Pakistan Foreign relations of Pakistan Pakistan was an ally of the United States for much of its early history as a modern nation-state, from the 1950s and as a member of CENTO (Central Treaty Organisation) and SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation). However, it all changed from 1965 when Pakistan went to war with India during the height of the Cold War. The US placed heavy military sanctions on Pakistan during the war forcing Pakistan to agree to the cease fire and pulling out of the war that was heading for a stalemate. After the 1965 war Pakistan had moved away from the US and its relations with China became stronger and soon both nations declared their alliance. Their relations have gone so far that it concerns the Western Super Powers. Despite US opposition, Pakistan dropped out of CENTO and SEATO, and established better relations with China and supported the resolution to move official recognition for the Chinese seat from the Taiwan-based Republic of China to the Beijing government. United States maintained a lukewarm relationship until the 1970s. In 1971, Pakistan was involved in a civil war which led the breaking away of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. China supported Pakistan and did not accept the new nation of Bangladesh for over 3 years, even though in 1973 Pakistan itself had. The US also did not accept Bangladesh in favor of Pakistan until after the Shimla Accord. The Soviet involvement in the war and the Chinese influence on Pakistan prompted USA to bolster ties with a lost ally and the alliance would not be strengthened until the Afghan war. In the 1980s Pakistan was supplied by the US with necessary arms and helped in training supporting anti-Soviet militia in Afghanistan. US promised to provide Pakistan with F-16 fighter jets though only a few were eventually supplied due to the Pressler amendment. China however chose to remain out of this alliance, instead providing moral support. After the Afghan war, which ended in favor of the anti-Soviet Alliance, the relationship with the US deteriorated when sanctions were imposed on Pakistan along with India for their nuclear program. All military equipment aid was again barred. China came to Pakistan's aid and helped them establish ground force and aviation infrastructures. Prior to the US-Led coalition war in Afghanistan, China remained the main exporter and trader with Pakistan. After September 11th, 2001, and the subsequent American-led assault on Afghanistan, current Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf aligned his government again with the US and attempted to seal borders with Afghanistan and silence Islamic radicals along it (especially in the NWFP and other rural, fronteir provinces). Since this strategic re-alignment towards US policy, the economic and military aid has been flowing from the US to Pakistan in large numbers. Besides the US and China, Pakistan enjoys alliances with some Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. PAF pilots fly fighters for these two countries. Libya and Syria are the only two middle eastern countries with whom Pakistan enjoys great relations even though they were once Soviet allies. Pakistan is also an important member of the OIC, which brings it closer to every Muslim country. Besides OIC, Pakistan is a member of the South Asian union of SAARC. Pakistan is the second largest Muslim country in terms of population and its status as a declared nuclear power—the only Islamic nation—also plays into its role on the international scene.

Political History

Pakistan has been ruled by both democratic and military governments. General Ayub Khan was the president from 1958 to 1969, and General Yahya Khan from 1969 to 1971. Civilian rule continued from 1971 to 1977 under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, but he was deposed by General Zia-Ul-Haq. General Zia was killed in a plane crash in 1988, after which Benazir Bhutto, daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. She was the youngest woman to ever be elected the Head of Government and the first woman to be elected as the Head of Government of a Muslim country. Her government was followed by that of Nawaz Sharif, and the two leaders alternated until the military coup by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999. Since the resignation of President Rafiq Tarar in 2001, Musharraf has been the President of Pakistan. Pakistan's first decade was marred with political unrest and instability resulting in frequent collapses of civilian democratic governments. From 1947 to 1958 as many as seven Prime Ministers of Pakistan either resigned or were ousted. This political instability paved the way for Pakistan’s first military take over. On October 7th 1958 Pakistan’s civilian and first President Iskander Mirza in collaboration with General Mohammad Ayub Khan abrogated Pakistan’s constitution and declared Martial Law. Nation-wide parliamentary elections were held in October 2002, with the PML-Q winning a plurality of seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan, and Zafarullah Khan Jamali of that party emerging as Prime Minister. Jamali resigned on June 26, 2004. PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain became interim PM, and was succeeded by Finance Minister and former Citibank Vice President Shaukat Aziz, who was elected Prime Minister on August 27, 2004 by a National Assembly vote of 191 to 151.

Geography

:Main article: Geography of Pakistan Geography of Pakistan Pakistan has a total area of 803,940 square kilometers, over three times the size of the United Kingdom. It has a land area of 778,720, slightly less than the combined land areas of France and the United Kingdom put together. To the south is the Arabian Sea, with 1,046 km (650 mile) of Pakistani coastline. To Pakistan's east is India, which has a 2,912 km (1,809 mile) border with Pakistan. To its west is Iran, which has a 909 km (565 mile) border with Pakistan. To Pakistan's northwest lies Afghanistan, with a shared border of 2,430 km (1,510 miles.) China is towards the northeast and has a 523 km (325 mile) border with Pakistan. The northern and western areas of Pakistan are mountainous. Pakistani administered areas of Kashmir contain some of the highest mountains in the world, including the second tallest — K2 — and has areas of preserved moist temperate forest. K2]In the southeast, Pakistan's border with India passes through a flat desert, called the Cholistan or Thar Desert. West-central Balochistan has a high desert plateau, bordered by low mountain ranges. Most areas of the Punjab, and parts of Sindh, are fertile plains where agriculture is of great importance. Pakistan is also the home of some of the world's most ancient civilizations. Places like Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Kot Diji, Thatta, Bhambore, Gandhara, Mehrgarh, Dir are all sites that came into existance near the dawn of civilization several thousand years ago.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Pakistan

Overview

Pakistan, a developing country, is the sixth most populous in the world and has faced a number of challenges on the political and economic fronts. Although a very poor country when it became independent in 1947, in the 1960s Harvard economists proclaimed it to be a model of economic development. In each of its first four decades, Pakistan's economic growth rate was better than the global average, but imprudent policies led to a slowdown in the late 1990s. Since then, the Pakistani government has instituted wide-ranging reforms, and economic growth has accelerated in the current century. Pakistan's economic outlook has brightened and its manufacturing and financial services sectors have experienced rapid expansion. The growth of the non-agricultural sectors has changed the structure of the economy, and agriculture now only accounts for roughly one-fifth of the GDP. There has been a great improvement in its foreign exchange position and a rapid growth in hard currency reserves in recent years. In 2004 Pakistan's GDP growth rate was 8.4% which is (after China) the second-highest among the ten most populous countries in the world.[http://aric.adb.org/default11.asp?handler=country&cid=36]

Macroeconomic Reform and Prospects

According to many sources, the Pakistani government has made substantial economic reforms since 2000, and medium-term prospects for job creation and poverty reduction are the best in nearly a decade. Government revenues have greatly improved in recent years, as a result of economic growth, tax reforms - with a broadening of the tax base, and more efficient tax collection as a result of self-assessment schemes and corruption controls in the Central Board of Revenue - and the privatisation of public utilities and telecomunications. Pakistan is aggressively cutting tariffs and assisting exports by improving ports, roads, electricity supplies and irrigation projects. Islamabad has raised development spending from about 2% of GDP in the 1990s to 4% in 2003, a necessary step towards reversing the broad underdevelopment of its social sector. Liberalisation in the international textile trade has already yielded benefits for Pakistan's exports, and the country also expects to profit from freer trade in agriculture. As a large country, Pakistan hopes to take advantage of significant economies of scale, and to replace China as the largest textile manufacturer as the latter China moves up the value-added chain. These industries play to Pakistan's relative strengths in low labour costs. A perception of stability in the nation's monetary policies has contributed to a reduction in money-market interest rates, and a great expansion in the quantity of credit, changing consumption and investment patterns in the nation. Pakistan's domestic natural gas production, and its significant use of CNG in automobiles, has cushioned the effect of the oil-price shock of 2004-2005. Pakistan is also moving away from the doctrine of import substitution which some developing countries (such as Iran and India) dogmatically pursued in the twentieth century. The Pakistani government is now pursuing a export-driven model of economic growth successfully implemented by South East Asia and now highly successful in China. In 2005, the World Bank reported that :"Pakistan was the top reformer in the region and the number 10 reformer globally — making it easier to start a business, reducing the cost to register property, increasing penalties for violating corporate governance rules, and replacing a requirement to license every shipment with two-year duration licenses for traders." [http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,contentMDK:20643510~menuPK:158937~pagePK:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:223547,00.html] In addition, reduced tensions with India and the ongoing peace process raise new hopes for a prosperous and stable South Asia, with more intra-regional trade.
Growing Middle Class
Measured by purchasing power, Pakistan has a 30 million strong middle class enjoying per capita incomes more than $8000-$10,000, according to Dr. Ishrat Husain, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan [http://www.pabe.org/us-chamber-press-article/PressArticlesOctober18_2004.doc]. In addition, Pakistan has a growing upper class with relatively high per capita incomes. However, Pakistan has no individuals with as much as a billion US dollars, according to Forbes magazine, and has the distinction of being the most populous nation to have no billionaires.
Economic History

First Five Decades
Economically, Pakistan was a very poor and predominantly agricultural country at the time of its independence in 1947 from British India. During its first four decades, Pakistan's economic growth rate was better than the global average. Industrial-sector growth, including manufacturing, was also above average. In the early 1960s, Pakistan was seen as a model of economic development around the world, and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing. Many countries sought to emulate Pakistan's economic planning strategy and one of them, South Korea, copied its Second Five Year Plan, 1960-65. Not just that But World financial center in Seoul was