Know the real Pervez Musharraf, former military ruler

New Delhi: If there is one person who is disliked both by most of the Indians and Pakistanis, it is Pakistan's former military ruler General Pervez Mushrraf.Musharraf's career has been topsy-turvy, full of intrigue and backstabbing. From an army commando, he shot up to the rank of Army Chief, then became Chief Executive of Pakistan, got himself elected as President, fled to exile and returned to be kept under house arrest during the elections. Pervez Musharraf was born on 11th Auust, 1943 in Delhi before partition in Daryaganj. His father, Syed Musharraf was a civil servant in India during British rule.After partition, he was raised in Karachi, and then in Istanbul. His first battlefield was with the artillery regiment in 1965 when he fought the second India-Pak war, which Pakistan lost. The Indian army almost went up till Lahore. He then served as company commander of the Special Service Group in the Commando Battalion in the 1971 war with India. Pakistan lost this war and its eastern part too. Bangladesh was born, and Musharraf never forgot the ignominy.Musharraf was part of a major offensive against the Indian army in the Khemkaran sector, in which Pakistan advanced 15 miles into India. Despite the initial success and possessing superior advantage in armor, the Pakistani 1st Armored Division suffered a major defeat and had to pull back. Later, Musharraf was sent to the Sialkot front. During the war, Musharraf showed bravery in the line of fire as Indian artillery guns shelled his unit. He received an award for gallantry and was promoted to captain. With his good academic record, popularity with the masses, and his progressive career graph, he was personally promoted to the post of Chief of Army Staff in 1998 by the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Soon after taking over the post of Army Chief, Musharraf began to plot against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had invited Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as part of peace overtures. Musharraf was against any peace deal with India, and secretly planned a major intrusion of Pakistani army regulars disguised at mujahideen into Kargil.From May to July 1999, India fought the Kargil War and ultimately the Pakistani aggressors were dislodged. Several thousand Pakistani soldiers died, but neither Musharraf not the Pakistani government openly acknowledged that it was their army soldiers who died. Nawaz Sharif then withdrew forces in July due to international pressure. Later Sharif claimed Pervez Musharraf was solely responsible for the Kargil debacle while Musharraf claimed Sharif was to blame.In any case, the relationship between the two soured, and on October 12, 1999, Sharif attempted to dismiss Musharraf from his position as Army Chief, when the latter was away in Sri Lanka. But senior Army generals, loyal to Musharraf and believing the prime minister was distancing himself from any responsibility for the military defeat, refused to accept Musharraf's dismissal. When word reached Musharraf that he was sacked by Nawaz Sharif, he immediately boarded a commercial airliner for Pakistan. Sharif ordered the Karachi airport closed to prevent Musharraf's plane from landing. The generals seized control of Sharif's administration and placed Sharif under house arrest. Sharif was lodged in jail, and after a deal, he was later exiled to Saudi Arabia. Musharraf arrived in Islamabad, declared emergency and took control of the government. From 2002 to 2007, he continued his regime, in spite of the resistances from the Pakistani courts as his move was unconstitutional. He did all possible attempts to maintain his control over the state. He brought in the Army to quell dissent, and got several judges arrested who were against him. General elections were then held in February, 2008 in which Pakistan's Peoples Party won.But during the election campaign, PPP chief and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated. Some politicians allege the hand of Musharraf behind the assassination, but the claim is disputed.On March 22, 2008, Syed Yusaf Raza Gillani became the prime minister to head a coalition government. In August, 2008, the Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League (N) forced Musharraf to step down and begin his impeachment. Initially he refused to step down, but eventually, he had to resign from the post of President on August 18, 2008. He then went to exile in London for five years but he still wanted to make a comeback in politics. He then returned to Pakistan on 24th March, 2013 in order to participate in the parliamentary elections. Musharraf was indicted that August for his alleged role in the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto. He was charged with "murder, criminal conspiracy to murder, and facilitation of murder"He was also accused of killing Nawab Akbar Bugti who was a veteran Baloch nationalist leader and former chief minister of Balochistan. Akbar Bugti was killed in 2006 in a military operation in Balochistan and a case was registered later in 2009 against Musharraf. Musharraf was President and Army Chief when Bugti was killed. In May, 2013 Musharraf got bail for the Bhutto's killing case and on 9th October, 2013 he was granted bail for Akbar Bugti murder also. He has been ordered to give a surety of 1 million dollars by the Pakistani Supreme Court. He would be then free to leave Pakistan. Soon after he got bail, he was re arrested in Islamabad over the Lal Masjid Operation on October 10, 2013. He had been accused of ordering the killing of more than 100 people in the operation. Musharraf is presently under house arrest in his own lavishly built residence. Musharraf had returned to Pakistan hoping to revive his political career but it seems his rivals would not let him return to power again.