Former military ruler Musharraf's body to be flown to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - The body of

Pakistan’s exiled former military ruler Pervez Musharraf,

who became a key US ally during the “war on terror”, was expected to be flown back from Dubai on Monday.

Mr Musharraf, who fled Pakistan in 2016 for medical treatment after a travel ban was lifted,

died on Sunday, aged 79, after a long illness.

Senior officials who asked not to be named said his body would be repatriated on Monday, with burial expected later in the day.

Mr Musharraf seized power in a 1999 bloodless coup and was acting simultaneously as Pakistan’s army chief, chief executive and president when the Sept 11 attacks on the United States took place.

The general twice suspended the Constitution and was accused of rigging a referendum to shore up his power, as well as rampant rights abuses. These included rounding up opponents during his nearly nine-year rule.

“In the end he left Pakistanis with a deep distaste for direct military rule – so that even though the military wields much power behind the scenes now, it does not want to be in power directly again,” said Dr Madiha Afzal, an analyst from the Brookings Institution.

Mr Musharraf was Washington’s chief regional ally during the invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan. That decision put him in the crosshairs of militants, who made several attempts on his life.

But it also earned Pakistan a huge influx of foreign aid, which bolstered the economy.

In Pakistan, where the military remains supremely powerful and enjoys significant support, the former ruler is a divisive figure. “There was good in him,” said retired civil servant Naeem Ul Haq Satti.

“But his one act, which will be remembered throughout history, was he violated the Constitution,” the 69-year-old added. “The most important thing a country has is its Constitution.”

Mr Musharraf suffered from a rare disease known as amyloidosis and his family last year said he had no prospect of recovery.

Senior military chiefs “express heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of general Pervez Musharraf”, said a statement from the military’s media wing on Sunday. AFP