Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf passes away in Dubai

Islamabad (IANS) – General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s former dictator, President, and military ruler, died in Dubai after being critically ill for about two years.

Former military ruler of Pakistan, General Pravez Musharraf died on Sunday, 5 February, in Dubai after a prolonged illness. He was 79-year-old and also suffering from a rare organ disease called amyloidosis. His family said he was admitted to hospital last year after he became critically ill.

In 2018, All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) and his political party made his condition public and claimed that he had the rare disease.

Musharraf’s death is being consoled by political and military quarters as his departure from Pakistan and re-settlement in Dubai. 

A statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on behalf of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and Services Chiefs offering their sincere condolences said, “May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family.”  

Many incidents occurred during Musharraf’s time in power as military leader, military dictator, and politician. Those incidents are the worst mistakes made by him. The whole country is still bearing the weight of them now. 

Musharraf’s dictatorship is criticized for not only causing political embarrassment for Pakistan as a result of the Kargil operation, but also for triggering a reactionary offensive by terrorists on Pakistan after Musharraf made the country an ally in the US-led war on terror.

Musharraf, as chief of the Pakistan Army, planned and carried out the attack by sending Pakistani intruders into India. However, it turned out to be a disastrous military failure for him, as India pushed back the Pakistanis and defeated them after a three-month war.

Musharraf faced several charges in Pakistani courts, including treason, after imposing martial law by deposing then-Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999. This occurred after Nawaz Sharif attempted to remove Musharraf as army chief, despite having appointed him above more senior officers just a year before.

Several cases were made against him in the Pakistani courts including treason, after he imposed a martial law in 1999. Despite Nawaz Sharif attempting to remove Musharraf from his position as army head after choosing to nominate him over more senior officers only a year earlier, it took place.

He was declared an absconder because he refused to appear before the Pakistani courts in various cases against him. He always used to highlight the Kargil operation as a feather in his cap whenever he spoke about India- Pakistan relations.

Analysts claim that his 4 point proposal for resolving the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir was about to be adopted. But because Musharraf’s government ended, that crucial agreement never came to pass.

Musharraf had long been on the terrorists’ hit list since he had narrowly averted at least three assassination attempts. His administration, which spanned from 2001 to 2008, was conducted against the backdrop of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US, which prompted the US to launch a military campaign against terrorists in Afghanistan.

According to sources, on Monday, Musharraf’s body will be returned to Pakistan. A chartered plane will depart from Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan airbase for Dubai, carrying Musharraf’s body back to Pakistan.