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KARACHI: The mortal remains of former military dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf will be returned to Pakistan on Monday (today).
Musharraf’s body, according to sources, would arrive in Karachi on a special plane from Dubai. His remains will be brought by his relatives. The former army chief will be laid to rest in a cemetery near the harbor city. According to sources, the time for funeral prayers and burial will be revealed soon.
Musharraf, who had lived in Dubai since 2016, died on Sunday at the age of 79.
According to his family, the former president was suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease characterized by a buildup of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body. The accumulation of amyloid proteins (deposits) can impair the function of organs and tissues.
The former ruler’s condition was revealed in 2018 when Musharraf’s party, the All-Pakistan Muslim League (APML), claimed that he was suffering from a rare ailment.
He leaves a widow, a son, and a daughter to grieve his passing.
Musharraf gained power in a bloodless coup in 1999 and was serving as Pakistan’s army chief, chief executive, and president at the time of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
During his nearly nine-year leadership, the general suspended the country’s Constitution twice and was accused of rigging a referendum to strengthen his power, as well as rampant rights violations such as rounding up opponents.
Nonetheless, following Washington’s invasion of neighboring Afghanistan, he became its most important regional ally.
The decision, made after the US delivered a “for us or against us” ultimatum, put him in the crosshairs of Islamist terrorists, who attempted to assassinate him numerous times. However, it resulted in a large influx of foreign aid to Pakistan, which boosted the economy.
Musharraf controlled Pakistan for nearly nine years, beginning with an attempt by then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif to depose him as army leader, despite having placed him above more senior officials a year before.
