Musharraf Pervez President of Pakistan Date of Birth: 11.08.1943 Country: Pakistan

Biography of Pervez Musharraf

Pervez Musharraf, the former President of Pakistan, received his initial education in Karachi. In 1964, he graduated from a prestigious military college in Quetta, Balochistan province. From 1964, he held command positions in the artillery forces and later in special operations units. He participated in two wars with India in 1965 and 1971. Musharraf commanded a infantry division and a strike corps, and received numerous state awards. In 1991, he was promoted to the rank of General. From October 1998, he served as the Chief of the General Staff of Pakistan.

On September 29, 1999, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. On October 12, 1999, he came to power as a result of a military coup, overthrowing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and becoming the head of the executive branch of Pakistan.

In July 2000, he stated that a return to democracy in the country was unlikely before three years. In August, he stated that "supporting the current Taliban regime is in the interests of Pakistan's national security."

In June 2000, after a meeting with Heydar Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, he proposed a radical solution to the Karabakh problem. The General promised "any military assistance" in the return of Karabakh. In March 2001, the Pakistani leader stated that his government intends to continue the fight against religious extremism in the country.

In the summer of 2001, he became the President of Pakistan. On September 19, he stated that Pakistan stands "on the side of the international community in the fight against terrorism." On October 1, he announced his country's readiness to cooperate with the United States in anti-terrorism operations. On October 11, 2001, he made major changes in the government: new corps commanders were appointed, the pro-Taliban chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence was replaced, and new leadership was appointed to the General Staff.

In May 2002, following the referendum results, he was elected president for a second term. In June, he decided to form special forces to combat terrorism. In Pakistan, the military has always played an active political role, and it is often impossible to separate the career of a senior military officer from his activities as a politician. Musharraf's rise to power can serve as a typical example. As an officer, he distinguished himself during battles with the Indians and served in the special forces. It was his affiliation with this elite formation that allowed him to participate, along with the US CIA, in the training of Mujahideen who fought against Soviet troops in Afghanistan. There are reports (though not officially confirmed) that Musharraf received training in sabotage and psychological warfare techniques at a US base in Fort Bragg.

When interacting with the press, the General skillfully argues his points, never raises his voice, and maintains control even when faced with tricky questions from reporters. But his moderate tone hides an iron conviction as a nationalist.

Pervez Musharraf is known to his colleagues as a tough and decisive person. He is a thoughtful individual who takes a long time to make decisions, but once he makes them, he never backs down. This is one of the reasons for his popularity in the Pakistani army.

It is believed that the General is a staunch opponent of concessions to India, especially in resolving the Kashmir issue. Musharraf advocates continued cooperation with the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.

The only thing the General "exposed" himself to was his connections with international terrorist Osama bin Laden. According to Indian sources, this "communication" could serve the purposes of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence, facilitating the transfer of armed militants to the Indian side. In other words, it aimed to support bin Laden's intensification of "jihad" against India. The General also used bin Laden's help in suppressing an anti-government uprising by the Shiite religious sect in Gilgit in 1988. Bin Laden led a group of Pashtun fighters from Afghanistan at that time. It is believed that Musharraf is close to Islamic fundamentalist organizations such as "Jamaat-e-Islami" and "Harkat-ul-Ansari," mainly involved in the transfer of militants and weapons to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani General established contact with bin Laden in the 1980s when he was involved in training Mujahideen fighting against the Soviet army in Afghanistan. He received instructions to establish this connection from the then military ruler of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq.

According to some observers, Musharraf's coup was an act of desperation in the face of the country sinking into corruption and blatant theft at the highest levels of government. It is noteworthy that Musharraf did not have any pre-prepared plan. Everything happened spontaneously. The General was literally enraged when his plane, returning from Colombo, was denied permission to land in Karachi. Demanding direct communication with the dispatcher, he asked threateningly, "I wonder what the person who dares to refuse me landing in Karachi looks like?" Then, permission to land was immediately granted. This incident served as a sort of trigger for the General's actions.

Pervez Musharraf belongs to the "muhajir" community, primarily settled in the southern part of Sindh, consisting of Urdu-speaking migrants from India and their descendants. When assessing the strength of the military regime led by General Musharraf, foreign experts point out the need to consider an important fact: the ethno-national structure of the Pakistani armed forces. They are comprised of 80% Punjabis (the largest ethnic group in Pakistan) and approximately 20% Pashtuns. However, General Musharraf, as mentioned earlier, is a "muhajir," meaning he is originally from India. This fact adds an element of unpredictability to his relationship with the top brass of the army.

Pervez Musharraf is usually seen in front of foreigners and politicians wearing fashionable civilian suits from Armani. He dons military attire when meeting with officers and traditional national attire, shalwar kameez, when communicating with the general public.

He is interested in badminton, golf, and water sports. His hobbies include reading books on military history.

According to those close to General Musharraf, he never showed any political ambitions and considered his military career to be his life's work.