Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf passes away aged 79
Former Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf (Retd) passed away following a prolonged illness at a United Arab Emirates (UAE) hospital on Sunday, Dawn reported. He was 79. The former Chief of Army Staff of the country had reportedly been undergoing treatment at an American hospital in Dubai, where he breathed his last. Reportedly, he has succumbed to a rare disease called amyloidosis.
Musharraf was undergoing treatment in Dubai
Former Pakistan minister Fawad Chaudhry confirmed his death
He had been in hospital for 2 months
Musharraf had been hospitalized for a couple of months owing to a complication due to amyloidosis, said reports. To recall, in June last year, his family revealed via his official Twitter handle that the former Pakistani military ruler's condition was critical. They had also said Musharraf was battling a prolonged illness, and his organs failed beyond recovery.
What is amyloidosis?
Last year, some reports also claimed that Musharraf was put on a ventilator following his critical health condition. His family, however, refuted the reports and said that his organs were failing due to amyloidosis. Amyloidosis is a condition that causes connective tissue and organ dysfunction. It is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of a protein called amyloid in the body's tissues and organs.
Family tried to bring him to Pakistan: Report
Musharraf's family had been trying to bring him back to Pakistan since last year, some reports said. He had previously expressed his wish to spend the "rest of his life" in Pakistan and wanted to return as soon as feasible. However, he couldn't make it, and there is no official word yet on whether his mortal remains would be brought to his home country.
Who was Pervez Musharraf?
Musharraf was born in 1943 in Delhi (undivided India). After the partition, his family moved to Pakistan. He entered Pakistan's army at 18 and rose through the ranks to become its chief. He came to power in the 1999 coup that toppled former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, who had allegedly sought to depose him for approving the Kargil war to seize Kashmir from India.
Why did General Musharraf shift to UAE?
Musharraf had been branded a fugitive in the murder cases of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and a Red Mosque cleric. The former Pakistani president, who moved to the UAE over eight years ago, was also charged with treason for suspending the Constitution in 2007. The former military dictator fled to Dubai for medical treatment in March 2016 and never returned to Pakistan.
