Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf dies at 79

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf died this Sunday in a hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at the age of 79 after a long illness, as confirmed by his family, the Pakistani Army and the Pakistani diplomatic mission in the emirate.

The former politician had been admitted to the American Hospital in Dubai since last June due to the aggravation of amyloidosis (the accumulation of a protein in the organs) that he suffered, according to what his family announced at the time.

The heads of the Pakistani army, navy and air force have expressed their condolences for the death of their once supreme commander, with the rank of four-star general.

The press department of the Pakistani Army confirmed his death in a statement in which it expressed his "most sincere condolences."

"May Allah bless the soul of the deceased and give strength to the grieving family," the note added.

Musharraf rose to power in Pakistan in 1999 after a coup against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and resigned in 2008, after which he traveled to Dubai and London in self-imposed exile.

During his tenure, the country experienced rapid economic growth, while the military tried to introduce some liberal values ​​into a very conservative Muslim country.

For a few years, he enjoyed a high degree of support among the population, while his greatest threat lay in Islamist groups, such as Al Qaeda, which made three attempts on his life.

But the reality is that he headed an iron military regime that repressed any attempts at dissent with a firm hand which, added to his support for the US in its fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, ended up alienating him from the support of the Pakistanis and forced his fall in 2008. In March 2012, Musharraf returned to the country with the aim of leading his party in the legislative elections, but a court disqualified him from the electoral race and he was exposed to a battery of charges against him for his actions while was in power.

He was allowed to leave the country to receive medical treatment, although he was accused of treason against the State and ended up in Dubai, where he had resided since 2016.

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