Pervez Musharraf Dies: Shashi Tharoor Praises Former Pakistani President for 'Strategic Thinking'

Musharraf was the tenth president of the South Asian nation after the successful military coup in 1999.

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf passed away today in a Dubai hospital after a prolonged illness. He was 79 years old and was suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body. Musharraf was born on August 11, 1943 in Delhi.

Reacting to the demise of former Pakistani Army General, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that though Musharraf was an implacable foe of India, he became a real force of peace between 2002 and 2007.

“Pervez Musharraf, Former Pakistani President, Dies of Rare Disease”: once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace 2002-2007. I met him annually in those days at the UN & found him smart, engaging & clear in his strategic thinking. RIP," said Tharoor.

The military ruler had been undergoing treatment at American Hospital Dubai, Geo News reported.

He assumed the post of Chief Executive after imposing martial law in the country in 1999 and served as the president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008. The former president's family moved from New Delhi to Karachi in 1947. He joined the Pakistan Army in 1964 and was a graduate of the Army Staff and Command College, Quetta.

Musharraf was the tenth president of the South Asian nation after the successful military coup in 1999. He served as the 10th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan (CJCSC) from 1998 to 2001 and the 7th top general from 1998 to 2007. (With agency inputs)