Pakistan ex-President Pervez Musharraf challenges death sentence

Alsiasi_Agencies

Pervez Musharraf wielded absolute power after he took control of Pakistan in a military coup in 1999, ruling the South Asian country for nine years before being removed when his political party was routed in a general election.

Musharraf remained Pakistan’s army chief and appointed himself chief executive, and later president, during most of his rule, which saw a credit-driven economic boom cycle that came to an end by the latter years of his reign.

Since losing power, and seeing his political party failing to win any significant seats in two subsequent general elections, Musharraf has seen his political fortunes wane as he chose to live in self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates after he was charged with treason in 2014.

The charge – for which he was handed the death penalty on Tuesday – was a divisive issue in Pakistani politics.