Death Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf died yesterday, aged 79, in Dubai after a long battle with illness, the Pakistani army said in a statement released in Islamabad. Geo News reported that a special plane would fly to Dubai on Monday to carry Musharraf’s body back to Pakistan for burial.
Musharraf came to power in 1999 in a “white coup” after then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attempted to remove him from his post of army commander, as he appointed him a year earlier, despite the presence of high-ranking officers.
Musharraf, who ruled for seven years, enjoyed strong support for many years. The biggest threat to him was al-Qaeda and other militants who tried to kill him at least three times.
Musharraf was allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment despite being charged with treason in Pakistan and traveled to Dubai in 2016.