Former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf died in Dubai at the age of 79 after a long illness.
The former dictator Pervez Musharraf died at American Hospital Dubai, where he had been undergoing treatment for his ailments, his family confirmed.
Rumours of Pervez Musharraf’s death surfaced last year, but the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), a political party founded by the former president, dismissed them.
The party had denied reports that he was in critical condition or on a ventilator. It went on to say that Musharraf was being treated for amyloidosis at home and that his condition was stable.
Amyloidosis is a condition caused by the accumulation of an abnormal protein in organs and tissues, causing them to malfunction.
Who was Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf?
Pervez Musharraf was born in Delhi, British India, on August 11, 1943. On April 19, 1961, he received his commission from the Pakistan Military Academy Kakul. He joined the special services group after receiving his commission.
The military ruler also fought in the wars of 1965 and 1971. He was promoted to the rank of four-star general in 1998 and assumed command of the military after former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed him as chief of army staff (COAS).
A year later, on October 12, 1999, Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf overthrew the government in a coup.
Pervez Musharraf remained Pakistan’s longest-serving president after taking over the country’s reins. He was elected president through a referendum in 2002 and served until 2008.
During his tenure, the military leader accepted the US proposal to make Pakistan a frontline ally following the 9/11 attacks.
Later that year, through the 17th Amendment to Pakistan’s Constitution, he was elected as a president in uniform for five years.
Pervez Musharraf is also known for taking anti-constitutional measures to depose Supreme Court judges in November 2007, which sparked the Lawyers’ Movement, also known as the Movement for the Restoration of Judiciary.
Pervez Musharraf resigned as president on August 18, 2008, to avoid impeachment, following a movement led by Pakistan’s political parties, and relocated to London.
On December 17, 2019, a special court sentenced the former military ruler to death under Article 6 of the Constitution on charges of high treason and constitutional subversion. During the Pakistan Muslim League-(PML-N) Nawaz’s tenure in 2014, a case of high treason was filed against him for declaring a state of emergency on November 3, 2007.
Pervez Musharraf appeared in court on March 31, 2016, after being indicted on the charges.
Due to his illness, he later flew out of the country.