From Snatching Presidency In A Coup To Getting Exiled: The Life Of Former Pak President Pervez Musharraf

Musharraf rose to power in 1998 when he was named head of the armed forces by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Pervez Musharraf Dies At 79: Former Pakistan Pervez Musharraf died on Sunday after a prolonged battle with illness at a Dubai hospital. Musharraf was undergoing treatment for amyloidosis, a rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein, called amyloid, builds up in your organs and interferes with their normal function.

From staging a coup to snatch the presidency, to starting a war without the knowledge of the elected government, Musharraf was known for his unique antics which took him to great heights politically but eventually also led to his irrecoverable downfall. Here’s a look at the life of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf:

The Rise Of Pervez Musharraf

Musharraf was the second lieutenant during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. By the 1980s, he was commanding an artillery brigade. In the 1990s, Musharraf was promoted to major general, assigned an infantry division, and later commanded the Special Services Group.

Musharraf rose to power in 1998 when he was named head of the armed forces by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He was considered as the mastermind behind the invasion of the part of the Kashmir territory ruled by India in 1999. Following pressure from the international community, Sharif issued an order for the troops to retreat to Pakistani-controlled territory, which infuriated the military.

Later he was sacked by then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on October 12, 1999. Though Sharif failed miserably at that as the military overtook the airport and other key government facilities, ousted Sharif, and installed Musharraf as the leader of a military administration.

Musharraf, in his bid to extend his tenure, altered the Legal Framework Order (LFO), which included a clause extending his tenure as president by a further five years.

The Pakistani Supreme Court opposed Musharraf’s bid for reelection as president in 2007, mainly because he was still in office as both the president and the leader of the military. Musharraf replied by announcing a state of emergency in November. He tried to muzzle all the opposition which came his way as he went on a sacking spree which included the chief justice and other Supreme Court justices, detained opposition political leaders, and established limits on the free press and the media. Midway through December, Musharraf declared the state of emergency to be over, but not before instituting a number of constitutional amendments to safeguard the policies put in place during the emergency.

Beginning Of The End — How Musharraf Paved Way To His Own Downfall

Musharraf’s party had a dismal outing in the 2008 legislative elections. The common people as well as political pundits took this as a sign of the falling popularity of Musharraf and they saw a window here to topple his government.

Following the elections, an opposition coalition led by Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of the deceased former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, emerged. His little regard for the constitution became ammunition for the opposition. In August 2008, the ruling coalition moved to start the impeachment process against Musharraf, citing significant constitutional infractions. Faced with the imminent accusations, Musharraf tendered his resignation on August 18.

Later, he went to Dubai in 2016 and spent the rest of his life in self-imposed exile.