Musharraf, Pervez, 1943, Pakistani army officer, president of Pakistan (2001), b. Delhi. After the partition of British India, his family resettled in Karachi, Pakistan; he spent (1949-56) some of his childhood in Turkey, where his father was posted as a diplomat. He entered the Pakistan Military Academy in 1961 and became (1964) an artillery officer, rising through the ranks to major general (1991), lieutenant general (1995), and general and chief of army staff (1998). In 1999 he became chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee. In Oct., 1999, Prime Minister Sharif attempted to remove Musharraf by refusing his returning flight landing rights in Pakistan. The move led to a coup by Musharraf, who became chief executive; he appointed himself president 20 months later. A controversial referendum in 2002 extended his rule for five years. A declared supporter of a democratic, nonfundamentalist Islamic Pakistan and a supporter as well of the U.S. war on terror, he has twice been the target of assassination attempts. <br />
General Pervez Musharraf, the president of Pakistan, became the head of state when the military took over the government in a bloodless coup in October, 1999. At that time, he was designated Chief Executive, and he only assumed the office of President in June, 2001.<br />
The second of three brothers, Musharraf was born in Delhi on August 11, 1943. His parents chose to settle in Karachi after the creation of Pakistan. Since his father, who was in the foreign service, was sent to Ankara, Musharraf ended up spending his early years in Turkey, and he became fluent in Turkish. In 1961, he joined the Pakistan Military Academy and was commissioned in Artillery Regiment in 1964. He fought in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 as a young officer, and was awarded Imtiazi Sanad for gallantry. He was on the faculty of the Command and Staff College, Quetta and the war wing of the National Defense College. He volunteered to be a commando, remaining in the Special Services Group for seven years.<br />
In 1971's Indian-Pakistani War, Musharraf was Company Commander in the Commando Battalion. The Director General of Military Operations at General Headquarters from 1993 to 1995, Musharraf rose to the rank of General and was appointed as the Chief of Army Staff on October 7, 1998 when Pakistan's army chief, General Jehangir Karamat, resigned two days after calling for the army to be given a key role in the country's decision-making process. <br />
As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Staff Committee on April 9, 1999, he went on to lead Pakistan. In order to legitimize and legalize his rule, General Pervez Musharraf held a referendum on April 30, 2002, and at that time was elected President of Pakistan for a five-year term. He has committed to leave the army on December 31, 2004, but will continue to serve until the end of his presidential term.<br />
General Musharraf is married and has two children, a son and a daughter.<br />
General Pervez Musharraf (born August 11, 1943, Delhi, India) became de facto Head of Government (using the title Chief Executive and assuming extensive powers) of Pakistan on October 12, 1999 following a bloodless coup d'鑼å¼at. He assumed the office of President of Pakistan (becoming Head of State) on June 20, 2001.<br />
On May 12, 2000 the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered Musharraf to hold general elections by October 12, 2002. In an attempt to legitimize his presidency and assure its continuance after the approaching restoration of democracy, he held a referendum on April 30, 2002, which extended his presidential term to a period ending five years after the October elections. However, the referendum was boycotted by the majority of Pakistani political groupings, and voter turnout was 30% or below by most estimates.<br />
General elections were held in October, 2002 and a pro-Musharraf party, the PML-Q, won a plurality of the seats in the Parliament. However, parties opposed to Musharraf effectively paralyzed the National Assembly for over a year. The deadlock ended in December 2003, when Musharraf made a deal with the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal party, agreeing to leave the army on December 31, 2004. With that party's support, pro-Musharraf legislators were able to muster the two-thirds supermajority required to pass the Seventeenth Amendment, which retroactively legalized Musharraf's 1999 coup and many of his subsequent decrees.<br />
In a vote of confidence on January 1, 2004, Musharraf won 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, was "deemed to be elected" to the office of President until October 2007.<br />
On September 15, 2004, Musharraf backed down from his commitment to step down as Army chief, citing circumstances of national necessity that he felt required him to keep both offices.<br />
Musharraf was born in Daryaganj in Delhi, India but moved with his parents to Karachi, Pakistan during the partition of India (1947). Both of his parents attended college; his mother's major was English Literature. She worked for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and retired in 1986. Musharraf's father, a graduate of the Aligarh University in India, served in the Pakistan foreign service and led a distinguished career. He retired as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. <br />
General Pervez Musharraf, President and Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, addressing the UN General Assembly on November 10, 2001<br />
Education<br />
Musharraf was schooled at Karachi's Saint Patrick's High School and Forman Christian College, Lahore. A graduate of Command and Staff College, Quetta, and the National Defense College, Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf also distinguished himself at the Royal College of Defense Studies, United Kingdom. His supervisor, commenting on his performance remarked in his report: "A capable, articulate and extremely personable officer, who made a most valuable impact here. His country is fortunate to have the services of a man of his undeniable quality."<br />
Military career: In 1961, he joined the Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul and was commissioned in artillery regiment in 1964. He fought the 1965 war with India as a young officer and was awarded Imtiazi Sanad for gallantry. In 1967/68, he was promoted to Captain. He also achieved the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (military) and the Tamgha-i-Basalat. He has also been on the faculty of the Command and Staff College, Quetta and the war wing of the National Defence College. He volunteered to be a commando, and remained in the Special Service Group for seven years. He also participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 as a Company Commander in the Commando Battalion. He has had the privilege of commanding artillery regiments and an armored division. On promotion to the rank of Major General on January 15, 1991, he was given the command of an Infantry Division and later of a prestigious strike Corps as Lieutenant General on October 21, 1995.<br />
Musharraf has served on various important staff and instructional appointments during his career. He has also been the Director General Military Ops at the GHQ from 1993 to 1995. He rose to the rank of General and was appointed as the Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan on October 7, 1998 when Pakistan's army chief, General Jehangir Karamat was forced to resigned after calling for military representation in a National Security Council of Pakistan. He was given additional charge of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee on April 9, 1999.
General Pervez Musharraf, the president of Pakistan, became the head of state when the military took over the government in a bloodless coup in October, 1999. At that time, he was designated Chief Executive, and he only assumed the office of President in June, 2001.<br />
The second of three brothers, Musharraf was born in Delhi on August 11, 1943. His parents chose to settle in Karachi after the creation of Pakistan. Since his father, who was in the foreign service, was sent to Ankara, Musharraf ended up spending his early years in Turkey, and he became fluent in Turkish. In 1961, he joined the Pakistan Military Academy and was commissioned in Artillery Regiment in 1964. He fought in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 as a young officer, and was awarded Imtiazi Sanad for gallantry. He was on the faculty of the Command and Staff College, Quetta and the war wing of the National Defense College. He volunteered to be a commando, remaining in the Special Services Group for seven years.<br />
In 1971's Indian-Pakistani War, Musharraf was Company Commander in the Commando Battalion. The Director General of Military Operations at General Headquarters from 1993 to 1995, Musharraf rose to the rank of General and was appointed as the Chief of Army Staff on October 7, 1998 when Pakistan's army chief, General Jehangir Karamat, resigned two days after calling for the army to be given a key role in the country's decision-making process. <br />
As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Staff Committee on April 9, 1999, he went on to lead Pakistan. In order to legitimize and legalize his rule, General Pervez Musharraf held a referendum on April 30, 2002, and at that time was elected President of Pakistan for a five-year term. He has committed to leave the army on December 31, 2004, but will continue to serve until the end of his presidential term.<br />
General Musharraf is married and has two children, a son and a daughter.<br />
General Pervez Musharraf (born August 11, 1943, Delhi, India) became de facto Head of Government (using the title Chief Executive and assuming extensive powers) of Pakistan on October 12, 1999 following a bloodless coup d'鑼å¼at. He assumed the office of President of Pakistan (becoming Head of State) on June 20, 2001.<br />
On May 12, 2000 the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered Musharraf to hold general elections by October 12, 2002. In an attempt to legitimize his presidency and assure its continuance after the approaching restoration of democracy, he held a referendum on April 30, 2002, which extended his presidential term to a period ending five years after the October elections. However, the referendum was boycotted by the majority of Pakistani political groupings, and voter turnout was 30% or below by most estimates.<br />
General elections were held in October, 2002 and a pro-Musharraf party, the PML-Q, won a plurality of the seats in the Parliament. However, parties opposed to Musharraf effectively paralyzed the National Assembly for over a year. The deadlock ended in December 2003, when Musharraf made a deal with the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal party, agreeing to leave the army on December 31, 2004. With that party's support, pro-Musharraf legislators were able to muster the two-thirds supermajority required to pass the Seventeenth Amendment, which retroactively legalized Musharraf's 1999 coup and many of his subsequent decrees.<br />
In a vote of confidence on January 1, 2004, Musharraf won 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, was "deemed to be elected" to the office of President until October 2007.<br />
On September 15, 2004, Musharraf backed down from his commitment to step down as Army chief, citing circumstances of national necessity that he felt required him to keep both offices.<br />
Musharraf was born in Daryaganj in Delhi, India but moved with his parents to Karachi, Pakistan during the partition of India (1947). Both of his parents attended college; his mother's major was English Literature. She worked for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and retired in 1986. Musharraf's father, a graduate of the Aligarh University in India, served in the Pakistan foreign service and led a distinguished career. He retired as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. <br />
General Pervez Musharraf, President and Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, addressing the UN General Assembly on November 10, 2001<br />
Education<br />
Musharraf was schooled at Karachi's Saint Patrick's High School and Forman Christian College, Lahore. A graduate of Command and Staff College, Quetta, and the National Defense College, Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf also distinguished himself at the Royal College of Defense Studies, United Kingdom. His supervisor, commenting on his performance remarked in his report: "A capable, articulate and extremely personable officer, who made a most valuable impact here. His country is fortunate to have the services of a man of his undeniable quality."<br />
Military career: In 1961, he joined the Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul and was commissioned in artillery regiment in 1964. He fought the 1965 war with India as a young officer and was awarded Imtiazi Sanad for gallantry. In 1967/68, he was promoted to Captain. He also achieved the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (military) and the Tamgha-i-Basalat. He has also been on the faculty of the Command and Staff College, Quetta and the war wing of the National Defence College. He volunteered to be a commando, and remained in the Special Service Group for seven years. He also participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 as a Company Commander in the Commando Battalion. He has had the privilege of commanding artillery regiments and an armored division. On promotion to the rank of Major General on January 15, 1991, he was given the command of an Infantry Division and later of a prestigious strike Corps as Lieutenant General on October 21, 1995.<br />
Musharraf has served on various important staff and instructional appointments during his career. He has also been the Director General Military Ops at the GHQ from 1993 to 1995. He rose to the rank of General and was appointed as the Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan on October 7, 1998 when Pakistan's army chief, General Jehangir Karamat was forced to resigned after calling for military representation in a National Security Council of Pakistan. He was given additional charge of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee on April 9, 1999.