Musharraf: Architect of Kargil War, brought Pak & India to the brink of war

Pakistans former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf the architect of the Kargil War toppled the democraticallyelected government in a bloodless military coup in 1999 and ruled the country for nine years during which he survived numerous assassination bidsBorn in a middleclass family of Urduspeaking Mohajir parents in Delhi in 1943 Musharraf migrated to Pakistan with his family after the Partition in 1947 Pakistans last military dictator died on Sunday as a forgotten man in politics after spending his final years in selfexile in the UAE to avoid criminal charges against him in his countryHe died in the Gulf country after a prolonged illnessAlso read Pakistans Musharraf military dictator who allied with US dies in DubaiDuring his stint as the head of the Pakistan government Musharraf allied with America in the war against terror after the 911 attacks on the US and cracked down on Islamist groups and banned dozens of radical outfits a move that angered radicals He even escaped assassination attempts in later yearsMusharraf who was appointed the chief of army staff by the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 1998 engineered the Kargil War that took place months after Sharif signed a historic peace accord with his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee in LahoreAfter his failed misadventure in Kargil Musharraf deposed Sharif in a bloodless coup and ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008 in various positions iquest first as the chief executive of Pakistan and later as the PresidentPervez Musharraf Former Pakistani President Dies of Rare Disease once an implacable foe of India he became a real force for peace 20022007 former minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor said in a tweetI met him annually in those days at the UN amp found him smart engaging amp clear in his strategic thinking RIP Tharoor saidMusharraf who announced elections in 2008 under domestic and international pressure was forced to resign as president following the polls and went into selfimposed exile in DubaiIn 2010 he formed his own party the All Pakistan Muslim League and declared himself the party president He voiced his opinion of actively taking part in Pakistans politics sometime in the futureHe returned to Pakistan in March 2013 to contest polls after living in selfexile for about five years but was hauled to court in different cases including the 2007 assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto treason under article 6 of Pakistan Constitution and murder of Bugti tribe chief Nawab Akbar Khan BugtiIn 2006 on the orders of Gen Musharraf the Pakistan Army killed the former junior interior minister and Governor of Balochistan Bugti and over two dozen of his tribesmen leading to widespread unrest in the area and a surge in the Baloch nationalist sentiment in the provinceIn 2019 Musharraf was sentenced to death in absentia by a special court which found him guilty of high treason for imposing a state of emergency on November 3 2007 by keeping the countrys constitution in abeyanceThe judgement angered the countrys powerful Army which has ruled over Pakistan for most of the period since its existence It was the first time a former top military official had faced such a sentence for treason in Pakistan The death sentence was later annulled by the Lahore High CourtMusharraf who was living in Dubai since March 2016 was also declared a fugitive in the Benazir Bhutto murder case and Red Mosque cleric killing caseDuring his tenure Pakistan saw some structural reforms ranging from the economic and social sectors to administrative and political restructuringMusharraf visited India for the failed Agra summit in 2001 and made two more visits in 2005 as President to watch an IndiaPakistan Oneday Cricket match and in 2009 to attend a media event after shedding powerMusharraf the second of three brothers spent his early years in Turkey from 1949 to 1956 as his father Syed Musharrafuuddin was posted in AnkaraOn his return from Turkey Musharraf studied at Saint Patricks High School Karachi and then at FC College Lahore He joined the Pakistan Military Academy in 1961 and was commissioned into the Artillery Regiment in 1964He fought in the IndoPakistan War of 1965 as a young officer and also participated in the IndoPak War of 1971 as a Company Commander in the Commando BattalionMusharraf rose to the rank of General and was appointed as the Chief of Army Staff on October 7 1998 by then prime minister SharifHe was given additional charge of the Chairman Joint Chiefs Staff Committee on April 9 1999 Six months later he toppled the Sharif government and became the head of the state designated as Chief ExecutiveMusharraf got married in 1968 and has two childrena son and a daughterThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove 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