Timeline of political crisis

The following are the key incidents leading up to the imposition of emergency in Pakistan.

March 9, 2007: Musharraf suspends Supreme Court Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on allegations of misconduct. Lawyers rally to the top judge and Musharraf's popularity plummets as their pro-democracy campaign grows.

July 10: After a week-long siege, Musharraf orders troops to storm the Red Mosque in Islamabad to crush a Taliban-style movement based there. At least 105 people are killed in the raid. A wave of deadly militant attacks and suicide bombings follow.

July 20: Supreme Court reinstates Chief Justice Chaudhry, dealing a blow to Musharraf's authority.

July 27: Musharraf meets ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi to thrash out how to move the country towards a civilian-led democracy. Bhutto sets conditions including that Musharraf steps down as army chief. Talks are inconclusive.

September 10: Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister Musharraf deposed eight years ago and subsequently exiled, is arrested at Islamabad airport. The Supreme Court had cleared his return, and is hearing petitions that the government was in contempt of court for putting Sharif on a flight to Saudi Arabia, where he still languishes.

October 2: Musharraf designates a successor as army chief, in the most concrete move towards making good a pledge to step down he first made in December 2003. Government announces it is dropping corruption charges against Bhutto.

October 19: About 139 people killed by an attempted suicide bomb assassination of Bhutto during a procession through Karachi on her return from eight years of self-imposed exile.

November 2: Supreme Court reconvenes to hear challenges whether Musharraf was eligible to stand for re-election by parliament on October 6, while still army chief. His current term expires on November 15. Separately, sources say about 800 people have died, more than half of them in suicide bombings.

November 3: Musharraf imposes emergency rule.