Pervez Musharraf was a great army general of Pakistan. He became the tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and a politician who became the tenth President of Pakistan.
Biography
He was born in Delhi to an Urdu-speaking family on August 11, 1943. His family went to Pakistan during independence. He spent his childhood in Karachi and Istanbul. His father, Syed Musharraf Uddin, was a Syed Muslim.
Pervez Musharraf died on February 5, 2023, at the age of 79, falling victim to amyloidosis in Dubai. The authorities brought his dead body to Karachi. The army personnel and family members offered the funeral prayer on February 7. They buried his dead body in an army graveyard with other military honours.
Family Background
His family had an official background, his grandfather being a tax collector and his maternal grandfather being a judge. His father worked at the foreign office of the British Indian government as an accountant. Later, he became accounting director after the promotion. He had three brothers, Javaid Musharraf and Naveed Musharraf.
Musharraf married Sehba Farid on December 28, 1968. They had a daughter, Ayla and a son, Bilal.
Education
He studied at Forman Christian College, Lahore, then went to the Royal College of Defense Studies, UK, for higher studies. He did his military training at Kakul Academy, Abbottabad.
Military Journey
In 1961, at 18, he went to the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul. In 1964, he joined the army’s artillery regiment. Further, in the Indo-Pak war in 1965, he served as a second lieutenant. In the 1990s, he became a major general. Then, he served as deputy military secretary and director general, too. His role in the Afghan Civil was also dominating.
In 1998, Nawaz Sharif promoted him to a four-star general, and he became the head of the armed forces. Conflicts arose between Nawaz Sharif and Musharraf, and Nawaz tried to remove him as an army leader, but all in vain. As a result, Musharraf took over Pakistan as a president in 2001 and arrested Nawaz Sharif. He remained the Army Chief till retiring in 2007.
Political Journey
On May 12, 2000, the Supreme Court of Pakistan asked Musharraf for elections in October 2002. Musharraf formally appointed himself as President on June 20, 2001, when President Rafiq Tarar resigned. He served as president from 2001 to 2008. Musharraf redesigned the constitution in 2002, focusing on the legal framework order. He first appointed Zafar-ullah Jamali, followed by Shaukat Aziz as Prime Minister.
After the departure of Aziz as a prime minister, he faced rigid opposition from various political parties as well as civil groups. His decision to dismiss the Chief Justice of Pakistan in 2007 led to a judicial crisis. Moreover, the elections in 2008 led to his great defeat, and other political parties were in power. Political instability and the results of the election weakened his position. He resigned in 2008 and went into a self-imposed exile. He emigrated to London and lived outside Pakistan for many years.
Initiatives and Projects
He implemented many initiatives and policies during the seven years of his presidency, focusing on structural reforms and economic liberalization to attract foreign investors. He encouraged the widening of the Information Technology sector and worked on constructing motorways and highways to promote transportation. He promoted privatization and social liberalism and inspired women’s empowerment, giving them chances to serve in various fields, including politics, the workforce and many more.
The economy expanded at the rate of 7% per annum. The industrial sector was making 11.31% progress every year. During Musharaf’s tenure, the exchange rate was stable. There came an increment in per capita income. The exchange rate remained stable despite the widening trade and current account deficits. The GDP growth rate was 6% per annum till 2007. He played an influential role in the fields of agriculture and health. Educational reforms were promoted, including changes in curriculum, increased infrastructure, educational reforms, and a rising literacy rate. Poverty alleviation was the focus.
Allegations and Death
Musharraf returned to Pakistan in 2013 to participate in elections. The High Court disqualified his nomination. The High Court issued his arrest warrants. The court charged him with being involved in the murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti and Benazir Bhutto.
Musharraf’s government has severe charges for violation of human rights. He faced charges related to numerous assassination attempts while serving as president.
Moreover, an Abbottabad judge passed a judgment asking the authorities to declare Pervez Musharraf a proclaimed offender. In 2013, when Nawaz Sharif became Prime Minister, he pressed charges against Musharraf, putting many allegations against him, including the suspension of the constitution in 2007. The case continued even after the removal of Nawaz Sharif in 2017. In 2019, the court sentenced the death penalty to Musharraf, but the High Court of Lahore later annulled the death sentence. He died of amyloidosis in Dubai.
Conclusion
General Pervez Musharraf had a good reputation as a military general and a politician, but the allegations resulted in his decline. He wrote his autobiography, “In The Line of Fire, a memoir”.