Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf died in Dubai on Sunday. AFP
Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf died in Dubai on Sunday. AFP
Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf died in Dubai on Sunday. AFP
Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf died in Dubai on Sunday. AFP

UAE

UAE's Pakistani residents react to death of ex-president Pervez Musharraf

Army general held office for seven years

The National

February 05, 2023

  • English
  • Arabic

The death of former president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf has sparked reaction from Pakistani residents in the UAE.

Many have remembered the former leader's contribution during his time in office, with some describing him as a sincere man who "made some mistakes".

Dr Sanober Imran Ansari, a UAE resident for 11 years, remembered the stability and growth under Mr Musharraf.

"During his tenure there was job stability, the dollar was also stable, the economy was growing and the country was on the right pathway," said Dr Ansari.

"He was a daring leader. He may have made some mistakes but he was a sincere and patriotic person. His contribution during his tenure will not be forgotten."

Pakistan's former military ruler died in Dubai on Sunday, aged 79, after a long illness.

Mr Musharraf, a four-star general who ruled Pakistan for nearly a decade after assuming power in 1999, spent his final years in self-imposed exile.

Ayesha Sohail, the founder of a Facebook group with thousands of Pakistani followers from the UAE and a resident in the Emirates for more than 30 years, spoke fondly of Mr Musharraf.

"Very sad news to read earlier that a very brave soldier and our former president of Pakistan has left us all," said Ms Sohail.

"Being a Pakistani, he was my first favourite president and one who I admired. President Musharraf took many stances that we as a nation can never forget. He urged the repeal of Pakistan's 1979 Hudood law.

"He called for the emancipation of women and for their full political equality with men."

Mr Musharraf held the presidency from 2001 until 2008, when he resigned to avoid impeachment after imposing a state of emergency in 2007.

Sunduz Nawaz, a 34-year-old born in the UAE, remembered Mr Musharraf as a dedicated leader.

"He was one the bravest and courageous soldier who served the country very bravely," said Ms Nawaz.

"His dedication towards Pakistan will be remembered always. A true example of a leader who uplifted the country towards peace, development and stability."

Mr Musharraf is credited with leading Pakistan through a period of stability and rapid economic growth, but faced criticism at home for his support for the US war on terror after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

The assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto as she campaigned for re-election in 2007 remains unexplained, with critics blaming lax security on Mr Musharraf's watch as a factor.

In 2019, he was sentenced to death for high treason but, less than a month after the ruling, the entire process was declared unconstitutional by Lahore's high court.

Before his death, he had been battling complications arising from Amyloidosis, a rare group of conditions caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in tissues throughout the body.

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The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:

Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.

Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.

Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.

Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.

Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.

Saraya Al Khorasani:  The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.

(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)

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Updated: February 06, 2023, 12:58 PM`
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