Pervez Musharraf
General Pervez Musharraf, the president of Pakistan, announced his resignation on August 18, 2008.1 In a televised address to his nation, Musharraf said that he would prefer to resign rather than drag Pakistan through impeachment proceedings.1 On August 7, 2008, Pakistan's ruling coalition said that it would begin impeachment proceedings against Musharraf, who seized power in 1999. Since winning parliamentary elections in February 2008, his rivals have made moves to push him out of office.1 They claimed that Musharraf "eroded the trust of the nation" during his years in power.2 The chairman of Pakistan's Senate, Mohammedmian Soomro, will serve as acting president.
Fast Facts
- Born: August 11, 1943
- Birthplace: Delhi, India
- Children: Ayla and Bilal
- January 15, 1991: Promoted to Major General of Pakistan
- October 21, 1995: Became Lieutenant General
- October 7, 1998: General and Chief of Army Staff
- October 12, 1999: Seized power from elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
- Was Army Chief of Staff before seizing power from Sharif
- 2006: Wrote autobiography
- November 28, 2007: Stepped down as chief of the Pakistani Army
- Under Musharraf, Pakistan is key U.S. ally
- Supported the War on Terror
- Ousted dozens of judges and imposed emergency rule in 2007
- August 7, 2008: Pakistan's ruling coalition moved to impeach Musharraf
- August 18, 2008 Musharraf resigns
Musharraf Background
Pervez Musharraf came to power in Pakistan on October 12, 1999, after ousting Nawaz Sharif in a military coup. When Musharraf took power, Pakistan's economy was suffering from sanctions imposed after the 1998 nuclear weapons test. When, in 2002, Musharraf denounced terrorism and extremism and agreed to join the search for Osama Bin Laden, the United States and United Kingdom lifted sanctions. This has contributed to the significant economic revival Pakistan has experienced in the last seven years. Despite this success, Musharraf is widely criticized for alleged corruption in his administration, curbing of the freedom of press and speech, suspension of the government and constitution for political aims and stifling of political opposition. In the 2008 election, Musharraf's Pakistan Muslim League-Q party lost their majority to the rival PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-N.
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