Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Dies at 79 After Prolonged Illness

Musharraf breathed his last on Sunday, 5 February, after a prolonged illness.

Pervez Musharraf. 

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter) 

Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has died at the age of 79, Geo News reported, quoting sources.

Musharraf had been undergoing treatment for prolonged period in a hospital in Dubai.

In a statement issued after his demise, the Pakistani military's media wing expressed condolences over his death. "May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family," the Inter-Services Public Relations said, as per DAWN.

A special flight on Monday will bring back Musharraf's body from Dubai to Pakistan for burial, reported Geo News.

Battling Rare Disease

The news of the former army general's illness had come to light in 2018 when the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) said that he was suffering from a rare disease called amyloidosis.

He had left Pakistan in March 2016 for Dubai to seek medical treatment and didn’t return to the country ever since. He was also hospitalised in June last year for a period of three weeks.

Amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when a protein called amyloid builds up in organs. This results in organs not working properly. Organs that can be affected include the heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, nervous system and digestive tract.

Condolences Pour In

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended his condolences to Musharraf’s family. He tweeted, "I offer my condolences to the family of General (rtd) Pervez Musharraf. May the departed soul rest in peace!"

In a series of tweets, the Senate of Pakistan said that the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani expressed sorrow over his Musharraf's death. The tweet read, "Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has expressed deep sorrow and grief over the death of former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. He said that in this hour of sorrow, he shares his grief with the bereaved family."

Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's former ambassador at the United Nations, also offered condolences.

Meanwhile, condolences poured in from India too. While he was regarded as the architect of the Kargil war, he later tried to mend ties with India. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted that once an "implacable foe of India," Musharraf later became a "real force for peace."

(With inputs from DAWN and Geo News.)