Pervez Musharraf, Former Pakistan President, Dies After Prolonged Illness

New Delhi: Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistan President, died after a prolonged illness on Sunday (February 5, 2023). Musharraf, the four-star general who ruled Pakistan for nearly a decade after seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1999, died aged 79 and breathed his last at a hospital in Dubai. He was in the United Arab Emirates city for medical treatment since 2016. 

Earlier last year, Musharraf was hospitalized due to a complication of his ailment Amyloidosis. 

"Going through a difficult stage where recovery is not possible and organs are malfunctioning. Pray for ease in his daily living," Musharraf's family had said in a tweet on June 10.

Message from Family:

He is not on the ventilator. Has been hospitalized for the last 3 weeks due to a complication of his ailment (Amyloidosis). Going through a difficult stage where recovery is not possible and organs are malfunctioning. Pray for ease in his daily living. pic.twitter.com/xuFIdhFOnc — Pervez Musharraf (@P_Musharraf) June 10, 2022

Pervez Musharraf was born in New Delhi in 1943

Pervez Musharraf was born in New Delhi in 1943. He was reportedly four years old when his parents joined the mass exodus by Muslims to the newly created state of Pakistan.

While his father served in the foreign ministry, his mother was a teacher.

Musharraf joined the Pakistan army at the age of 18 and went on to lead an elite commando unit before rising to become its chief. 

He took power by ousting the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who had tried to sack him for greenlighting an operation to invade Indian-held areas of Kashmir, bringing Pakistan and India to almost the brink of war.

General Pervez Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999

General Pervez Musharraf had seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999. He was then sworn in as president and head of state in June 2001. 

He resigned in 2008 and Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir Bhutto's husband, had then taken over as Pakistan president.

After the 9/11 attacks in the United States, Pervez Musharraf had become one of Washington's most important allies, allowing the American forces to operate armed drones from secret bases on Pakistani soil that killed thousands and ordering domestic troops into the country's lawless tribal areas along the Afghanistan frontier for the first time Pakistan's history.

(With inputs from agencies)