Pervez Musharraf, a former four-star general in the Pakistani army who ruled the South Asian country for over ten years after taking office in a bloodless coup in 1999, has passed away. He was 79.
Pervez Musharraf Cause Of Death
He passed away following a protracted illness, according to Geo News on Sunday, which cited unnamed diplomatic sources. The Pakistani army issued a statement expressing its condolences after confirming his demise.
Born in Delhi on August 11, 1943, Musharraf moved to Pakistan’s harbor city of Karachi with his family in 1947 after the British divided the subcontinent. He resided in Turkey from 1949 to 1956 while his father served as a diplomat there.
He enlisted in the Pakistani army at the age of 18, and in 1964 he received a commission in the artillery unit before later becoming a commando.
Despite his boisterous and hot-headed demeanor, which resulted in numerous disciplinary measures, he was decorated for his actions during two battles with India, and he became a general in 1991.
After compelling General Jehangir Karamat to resign over a disagreement over security policy in 1998, then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif shocked the military establishment by elevating Musharraf to chief of army staff.