Former Pakistan leader Pervez Musharraf passes away, have a look at some lesser known facts about him

June 10, 2022 (New Delhi): Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf died on Friday, 10 June 2022 as per report by Pakistani’s Waqt news. Musharraf was ill for a long time. According to Pakistani media, he was admitted to the hospital in critical condition due to his deteriorating health, where he was kept on ventilator support. He was born on  11th of  August 1943 Pervez Musharraf  was a retired four-star general. He was the tenth President of Pakistan from 2001 until 2008. He was so powerful  during his tenure till 2007.

Let’s have a look at 10 shocking facts about Pervez Musharraf :

1. The second of three brothers, Musharraf was born into a middle class Muslim family in India in August 1943. His family moved to the newly created majority-Muslim state of Pakistan following India’s independence and partition in 1947. He spent seven years in Turkey, during his civil servant father’s posting to Ankara. In 1956 the family settled in Karachi, where Musharraf attended Roman Catholic and other Christian schools.

2. Musharraf tried to outst the Taliban from the country and due to his daring try he became target of several assassination attempts since then.

3. His government increased reserved seats for women in assemblies, to increase women’s representation and make their presence more effective. Compared with 1988 seats in the National Assembly were increased from 20 to 60.

4.Entering the Pakistan Military Academy in 1961, the keen sportsman and career military man first saw action as a young officer in the 1965 war against India and was decorated for gallantry. Marrying in 1968, he endured the army’s humiliating defeat by India in the 1971 war and served for seven years in Pakistan’s special service commando group.

5. In the 1971 war with India, he served as company commander in the Special Service Group Commando Battalion. Pervez Musharraf fought in the 1965 India-Pak war.

6. In a bloodless coup, Musharraf took over as Pakistan’s president in 1999.

7. He first led the country as chief executive and then won a five-year presidential term in a 2002 referendum critics say was rigged.

8. His mother, Zarin, worked for the United Nations Organization and his father, Syed Musharraf Uddin, was a member of the Pakistani Foreign Service and later, retired as secretary of foreign affairs.

9. One of President George W. Bush’s most important non-NATO allies in Washington’s war on terrorism, supporters paint Musharraf as a strong leader who can save Pakistan’s moderate Muslim majority from militant, religious extremism seeping into cities from tribal areas along the northwest frontier.

10. In response to the coalition government’s threat of impeachment, Pervez Musharraf resigned from the post of president.

By line: Divya Thearia