At the age of 79: Pakistan’s ex-president Musharraf is dead

In 1999, Pervez Musharraf came to power in a military coup in Pakistan. He was long considered an ally of the West, but later became increasingly authoritarian. He died in exile in Dubai at the age of 79.

Former Pakistani President and military ruler Pervez Musharraf is dead. Musharraf died at the age of 79, a spokeswoman for the Pakistani consulate in Dubai said. According to consistent media reports, he had previously been ill for a long time.

In a statement released by the Pakistani military press office, senior military officials expressed their “deepest condolences on the sad passing of General Pervez Musharraf.” “May Allah bless the deceased soul and give strength to the bereaved,” it said.

Musharraf overthrew previous government

Musharraf deposed then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a military coup in October 1999 and had himself elected President. His main enemies were al-Qaeda and other Islamist militants, who attempted to assassinate him on at least three occasions.

In his early years as head of government, he won international recognition for his reform-oriented course. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, he became one of the most important allies for the USA. He allowed the US to deploy armed drones from secret bases in Pakistan. In return, the US supports the Pakistani army with money.

In the later years of his presidency, Musharraf became increasingly authoritarian. In 2007, for example, hundreds of students who were demanding the introduction of Sharia law died when the military stormed a mosque in Islamabad. In the same year, the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto sparked a wave of violence in the country.

Protests broke out, Musharraf postponed the elections and declared a state of emergency. In November 2007 he suspended the constitution, dissolved parliament and dismissed the chief justices. He later resigned due to the protests.

Death penalty for high treason

In December 2019 he was sentenced to death in absentia for treason, but the sentence was later overturned by a court. He has lived in the United Arab Emirates since 2016. He had previously been granted permission to leave his home country on bail for medical treatment.