Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf died on Sunday morning at the age of 79 following a long illness, the military said on Sunday. He was in Dubai, where he lived in exile.
The senior military officials “express their sincere condolences following the death of General Pervez Musharraf” in a brief statement published by the press service of the army. “May Allah bless the soul of the deceased and give strength to the bereaved family.”
Survivor of three assassination attempts
General Musharraf took over as head of Pakistan in 1999 in a non-violent coup after then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif tried to remove him as army chief.
In more than seven years in office, he oversaw a period of economic growth while escaping at least three assassination attempts.
Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was sentenced to death in absentia in December 2019 for “high treason”, a first in a country where the army is often considered immune from prosecution.