China News Service, February 5 (Xinhua) According to local Pakistani media reports on February 5, the family of former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf confirmed that Musharraf died in a hospital in Dubai at the age of 79.
Musharraf's life can be described as ups and downs. He made illustrious military exploits in his early years, and his military career was high-spirited. He reached the pinnacle of Pakistani politics by mutiny.
However, he was also defeated by political struggles, and was once exiled by himself, and even became a prisoner, traveling overseas.
Data map: Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
【"A hard character who can't be manipulated"】
Pervez Musharraf was born on August 11, 1943 in New Delhi, India.
When he was young, he moved with his family to Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, where he finished high school.
At the age of 18, he entered the Pakistan Military Academy to study.
In his autobiography "In the Line of Fire," published in 2006, Musharraf spoke of his life at the military academy.
He said that it was there that he learned to fight. "People realized that I was a hard character who couldn't be manipulated at will."
In the early years, Musharraf fought on the battlefield and made great military achievements.
In 1995, at the age of 52, he was promoted to lieutenant general and guarded the Punjab province on the border with India.
Only three years later, he was quickly promoted to general and also served as chief of staff of the Pakistan Army.
In April 1999, Musharraf ascended to the top of the army and was appointed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
The then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said to Musharraf: "I chose you because among all the lieutenant generals, you are the only one who did not please me in order to seek this position."
However, as the situation changed, Sharif suddenly announced the removal of Musharraf from all positions.
Unwilling to fail, Musharraf launched a military coup and dissolved the Sharif government, and Sharif was forced into exile.
From then on, the military strongman went to the political arena and began a political career with a bumpy future.
[Political strongman casts his "iron fist"]
On June 20, 2001, Musharraf was sworn in as the President of Pakistan and served as the Army Chief of Staff.
In the following seven years, Musharraf was re-elected twice and held power for a long time, fully demonstrating his "iron fist" side.
Unlike previous military rule, Musharraf did not implement martial law.
Musharraf implements the strategy of "soldiers in power and civilians governing", allowing the military to coexist with civilian institutions in a certain equal capacity, and supervise their work instead of overriding them.
On the other hand, Musharraf continued to consolidate his power base and became the first person in Pakistan's history to combine the president, chief executive officer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and chief of staff of the army.
Data map: Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
Musharraf also backed greater rights for women, the fight against terrorism and efforts to improve relations with the West.
Under his leadership, Pakistan established the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the National Reconstruction Bureau to actively promote economic revitalization and anti-corruption.
During his tenure, Pakistan's economy developed rapidly. The economic growth rate was close to 9% around 2005, the GDP quadrupled, and the national strength was on the right track.
[Transferring the command and tearing off the military uniform]
If there is no "old enemy" Sharif, Musharraf may be able to start and end well in the post of president.
No one thought that Sharif, who was once considered to have ended his political career, returned to China in 2007, formed an opposition party in parliament and won the general election. The situation was reversed in an instant.
In October 2007, the opposition filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court before the presidential election, arguing that Musharraf's role as president and army chief of staff violated the constitution, and that Musharraf, who is still in the military, cannot participate in the new presidential election.
Although the charges were dismissed by the court, it also put Musharraf under great pressure.
Not long after, Musharraf was forced by the situation to make a promise to "take off his military uniform if he is re-elected".
On November 24 of that year, Musharraf was re-elected as president. He fulfilled his promise to resign from the post of army chief of staff and handed over the military command.
At the farewell ceremony, when Musharraf talked about leaving the army that had fought for 46 years, he was either impassioned, or his voice was choked up, and there were tears in his eyes when he was excited.
Musharraf said: "After wearing the uniform for 46 years, I will bid farewell to the army today. From tomorrow, I will no longer command the army, but one thing has always comforted me. This is this role in the army. The many honors and joys that 46 years have brought me."
Data map: On March 24, 2013 local time, after resigning from the presidency of Pakistan and leaving the country for more than 4 years, Musharraf arrived in Karachi, Pakistan by plane from Dubai that day.
[From the peak to the bottom, self-exile]
However, taking off the military uniform in tears did not bring long-term stability.
Soon, Musharraf fell from the peak of his political career to the bottom.
In 2008, Sharif's Pakistani ruling coalition decided to start the impeachment process against Musharraf.
In August of that year, Musharraf resigned from the presidency "for the benefit of the country and the people" and began "self-exile" in 2009.
In March 2013, Musharraf returned to China to participate in the general election, but was banned by the court and faced multiple charges including "treason", "murder of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto", and "killing religious clergy".
In March 2014, a Pakistani court charged Musharraf with "treason".
Musharraf, then 70, pleaded "not guilty" in court.
He said: "I believe in the law... I was called a traitor, but I was chief of staff for 9 years and served in the army for 45 years. I fought in two wars. Is this an 'act of treason'?"
Data map: In February 2014 local time, in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, Musharraf's supporters shouted slogans outside the court.
On the same day, Musharraf appeared in court for the first time, accepting a hearing on the charges of treason against him.
[The hometown that can’t go back, I’ll spend my whole life amidst the dispute]
The former political strongman encountered repeated "reversals" of fate.
Arrested, regained freedom, arrested again... This tough guy who has devoted most of his life to Pakistan is tired of dealing with the ensuing accusations and imprisonment. He hopes to go abroad for medical treatment on the grounds of "back pain".
It was not until March 2016 that the Supreme Court of Pakistan agreed to Musharraf's application to go abroad for medical treatment.
When Musharraf's name was removed from the Pakistani travel control list, he was flown out of Pakistan the next day to seek medical treatment in Dubai.
But the controversy about him didn't stop there.
In December 2019, Pakistan's special court responsible for hearing the Musharraf case sentenced Musharraf to death for treason.
But less than a month later, Pakistan's Lahore High Court ruled that Musharraf's death sentence was unconstitutional.
Now Musharraf has died in a Dubai hospital after a long and painful illness, ending his tumultuous life.
He also failed to return to his hometown after all, leaving a place of sighs and emotions, which will be commented by future generations.
(over)