Karachi: Pakistan's former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf was on Tuesday laid to rest with full military honours in an army graveyard here in the presence of his relatives and several retired and serving military officers. The 79-year-old former president's funeral prayers were held at the Gulmohar Polo Ground in Malir Cantonment in the afternoon in a low key ceremony which was neither attended by President Arif Alvi, nor Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.


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However, Joint Chiefs of Staff General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and former army chiefs - Qamar Javed Bajwa, Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Aslam Beg - attended the funeral.


Former ISI chiefs attend General Pervez Musharraf's funeral prayers


Former ISI chiefs - General (retd) Shuja Pasha and General (retd) Zaheerul Islam - and several serving and retired military officers also attended the funeral prayers.


Politicians including Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Pakistan) leaders Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi, Dr Farooq Sattar, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Amir Muqam, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf leader and former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, former federal information minister Javed Jabbar, were also in attendance.


No top leaders from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party in the Sindh province or the Jamaat-e-Islaami were present at the final rites.


Musharraf's coffin was draped in Pakistan's green and white flag, though the ceremony was not a state funeral.


The casket of Musharraf was then taken to the army graveyard reserved for top officials on Shahrah-e-Faisal and buried there with full military honours and protocol.


Musharraf, the architect of the Kargil War in 1999 and Pakistan's last military ruler, died on Sunday in Dubai after a prolonged illness. The former president was undergoing treatment for amyloidosis in Dubai. He was living in the UAE since 2016 in self-exile to avoid criminal charges back home.


Musharraf's mortal remains arrived from Dubai


Musharraf's mortal remains arrived here on Monday on a special flight from Dubai.


His wife Saba, son Bilal, daughter and other close relatives arrived with the body on the special aircraft of Malta aviation arranged by the UAE authorities.


The aircraft touched down at the old terminal area of the Jinnah International Airport amid heavy security with the former president's family and the body was taken to the Malir Cantonment area, officials said.


His mother was buried in Dubai while his father was laid to rest in Karachi.


Musharraf enjoyed immense support and popularity among many but was also hated and vilified by the bar councils, civil rights groups and political parties for his anti-democratic actions.


Musharraf, who seized power after a bloodless military coup in October 1999 and ousted the elected government of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, ruled Pakistan till 2008 as chief executive and President.


He was born in New Delhi in 1943 and migrated to Pakistan after Partition in 1947.