Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf passed away in a Dubai hospital at the age of 79 after a prolonged illness, his family confirmed on Sunday.
The former military ruler was undergoing treatment for amyloidosis at American Hospital Dubai.
Musharraf’s family has filed an application in the Pakistani consulate in Dubai to shift the former military leader’s body to Pakistan.
A special jet will fly to Dubai from Nur Khan airbase to bring Musharraf’s mortal remains back to Pakistan.
Last year, reports circulated of Musharraf’s death but they were rubbished by the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), which was the political party established by the former president.
The party had refuted the news related to him being in critical condition or on a ventilator. It added that Musharraf was being treated for amyloidosis at his home and his condition was stable.
Amyloidosis is a condition which is caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein in organs and tissues that prevents them from working properly.
The former president will be buried in a Karachi graveyard, confirmed his family sources. The bereaved family formally approached Pakistan’s consulate in Dubai seeking permission to shift the mortal remains of Musharraf to his homeland.
A special plane will land at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport on Monday morning to bring Musharraf’s body back to the country for burial, the sources added.
The former president’s mother was buried in Dubai while his father was laid to rest in Karachi.
Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed that they are facilitating the transportation of the mortal remains of the former army chief.
“Our Missions in the UAE are in contact with the family and are facilitating the transportation of the mortal remains,” she added.
Reacting to the news, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered his condolences on the former army chief’s demise.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad, and tri-services chiefs also expressed heartfelt condolences on Musharraf’s death.
“CJCSC and services chiefs express heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of General Pervez Musharraf, former president, CJCSC and chief of army staff. May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family,” the military’s media wing said.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry offered his condolences, saying: “Musharraf was a great person […], ‘Pakistan first’ was his theory and vision.”
Former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi, while pouring in condolences, said that Musharraf’s services to the Pakistan Army and the country cannot be forgotten.
Expressing deep sorrow over the former president’s death, Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani said that he shares his grief with the bereaved family.
