Profile: Who is General (r) Pervez Musharraf?

Former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf has been handed the death sentence by a special court on charges of committing high treason and subverting the constitution.

The treason case was filed against Musharraf for imposing a state of emergency on November 3, 2007 by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in 2014.

Musharraf, 76, is in Dubai where he is seeking treatment of multiple diseases.

Who is Pervez Musharraf?

Musharraf was born on August 11, 1943 in New Delhi and moved to Karachi in 1947 with his family after the 1947 partition.

Musharraf's father was a career diplomat, therefore, he lived in Turkey during 1949 to 1956. He joined Pakistan Army in 1961.

The former army chief tied the knot with Sehba Musharraf on 28 December 1968. They both have two children, daughter Ayla and son Bilal.

The former president was promoted to the rank of four-star general and  appointed chief of army staff in October 1998 by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

In October 1999, Musharraf toppled the Nawaz-led government and imprisoned him. He remained the army chief till 2007 and relinquished the position upon confirmation of his presidency.

He stepped down as president to avoid impeachment in 2008 after the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) came to power and thereafter moved to London.

In October 2010, Musharraf announced the formation of his political party, the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) and returned to Pakistan in 2013 to participate in general elections 2013. The PML-N, led by Nawaz, won the most number of seats in the parliament.

The PML-N initiated the high treason case against Musharraf over imposition of extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007.

The former army chief was indicted in March 2014 after he appeared before the court. He rejected all charges against him.

On March 18, 2016, the former president left Pakistan for Dubai to seek medical treatment after his name was removed from the no fly list on the orders of the Supreme Court.

A few months later, the special court declared him a proclaimed offender and ordered the confiscation of his property owing to his continuous inability to attend proceedings.

Later, his passport and identity card were also cancelled on the orders of the apex court.

Autobiography

Musharraf published his autobiography— 'In the Line of Fire: A Memoir' in 2006.