KARACHI — Thousands of individuals attended funeral prayers on Tuesday for Pakistan’s former army ruler Pervez Musharraf, who grew to become a key US ally throughout the “war on terror.”
Musharraf, who fled Pakistan in 2016 after a journey ban on him was lifted, died on Sunday aged 79 in Dubai, having suffered a protracted sickness.
Prayers have been held on the grounds of a army compound in Karachi in a ceremony attended by round 10,000 individuals, largely retired and serving army officers, an AFP reporter noticed.
Neither the serving military chief, the prime minister, nor the president attended the funeral, which was not formally introduced by the army or authorities and was not aired on native tv.
The physique was set to be transported to a close-by army graveyard.
In Pakistan, the place the army is supremely highly effective and enjoys vital help, Musharraf stays a divisive determine.
In an editorial printed by the nation’s main English language newspaper on Monday, Musharraf was described “as something of an enigma as his authoritarian rule was also interspersed with liberal reforms.”
“Yet the late general’s mistakes were considerable, the biggest and most unforgivable being the derailing of the constitutional order.”
Economic growth, democratic decline
The four-star basic seized energy in a 1999 cold coup and was performing concurrently as Pakistan’s military chief, chief govt, and president when the 9/11 assaults on the United States befell.
He grew to become Washington’s chief regional ally throughout the invasion of neighboring Afghanistan, a choice which put him within the crosshairs of Islamist militants, who made a number of makes an attempt on his life.
But it additionally introduced in an enormous inflow of international assist, which bolstered the economic system.
The basic twice suspended the structure and was accused of rigging a referendum shoring up his energy, in addition to rampant rights abuses together with rounding up opponents throughout his practically nine-year rule.
In 2007, Musharraf ordered troops to storm a mosque in Islamabad the place greater than 100 college students calling for the imposition of Sharia legislation have been killed, sparking a significant militant backlash.
In the identical 12 months, he tried to problem the independence of the judiciary, resulting in widespread protests, and was accused of involvement within the assassination of opposition chief Benazir Bhutto.
He grew to become more and more remoted earlier than finally shedding energy and leaving many Pakistanis with a deep distaste for direct army rule.
‘Terrible and unhappy legacy’
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif provided a easy condolence message on the dying of Musharraf, who seized energy after ousting his brother Nawaz Sharif.
Coalition associate and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, remained silent.
Khurram Dastagir, federal minister and a central chief of the governing PMLN get together, stated Tuesday that Pakistan ought to “forgive but not forget.”
“He plunged Pakistan into a war on terror, crushed the rights of people in Balochistan,” he instructed native tv channel Geo News.
“The constitution and judiciary of Pakistan were crushed… his role in tortures and detentions… it is a very terrible and sad legacy that Pervez Musharraf has left and we should not forget it.”
Musharraf had been affected by a uncommon illness generally known as amyloidosis and final summer time his household stated he had no prospect of restoration.
His physique was repatriated from Dubai on Monday and flown to the megalopolis, the place his household settled after leaving Old Delhi following the partition of the Indian subcontinent. — Agence France-Presse
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
