Pakistan's former president, Pervez Musharraf is dead

The ex-President Pervez Musharraf couped his way to power in Pakistan in 1999 and ruled his country.

He has died in his exile in Dubai.
This was reported by Pakistan's "Geo News" with reference to his family, and the Pakistani embassy in the United Arab Emirates confirmed the death. According to Pakistani media reports, Musharraf died at the age of 79 in a hospital in Dubai.

Musharraf's family had already announced in the summer of 2022 that he was terminally ill and would not recover from "organ failure".

Musharraf had seized power as a general in a bloodless coup in 1999. He was Pakistan's head of state from 2001 to 2008. In his first years in power, he introduced reforms for which he received international recognition at the time. For example, he pushed through laws to protect women's rights and allowed private news channels for the first time.

After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, he was under pressure from the United States, he therefore took action against extremism in his country. As a result, however, he himself became the target of extremists, while anti-American sentiment in the country rose.

From reformer to dictator
Over the years, however, conflicts with the judiciary and the opposition increased. In 2007, Musharraf declared a state of emergency to extend his term as president. He suspended the constitution, dissolved parliament and dismissed the top judges.

Ultimately, these steps triggered a wave of protests that forced him to resign in August 2008. After his ouster, Musharraf went into exile for several years, but returned in March 2013 to contest the parliamentary election. However, he was barred from running by the courts. He was also banned from leaving the country. After the ban was lifted, he left for Dubai in 2016.

Because the proclamation of emergency in 2007 had violated the constitution according to an anti-terror court, he was sentenced to death for high treason in 2019. At the time, however, he was in exile due to illness. The death sentence was later declared unconstitutional by a court and overturned.

Francis Tawiah (Duisburg - Germany)