Former Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in 1999, has died at the age of 79.
The former leader, who was president between 2001 and 2008, died after a long illness, the country’s army said in a statement.
He survived numerous assassination attempts and found himself on the front lines of the struggle between militant Islamists and the West.
He supported the US “war on terror” after 9/11, despite domestic opposition.
In 2008, he was defeated in the elections and left the country six months later.
When he returned in 2013 to try to run, he was arrested and barred from running. He was accused of treason and sentenced to death in absentia, but less than a month later this decision was overturned.
He left Pakistan for Dubai in 2016 to seek medical treatment and has been living in exile in the country ever since.
In a statement confirming the death, the military said it offered its “heartfelt condolences” and added: “May Allah bless the soul of the deceased and give strength to the bereaved family.”
