During the three
years of General Pervez Musharraf as the Chief Executive of
Pakistan, the country saw more structural reforms than at any
time in its history. Ranging from economic and social sector
reforms to - administrative and political restructuring -
improvements were carried out in almost every conceivable facet
of national life. At the time he assumed office of the Chief
Executive on 12th October 1999, the country was in deep economic
and constitutional crisis. His administration’s remarkable
achievement of pulling the, country out of the economic and
political morass in a short span has been widely acknowledged.
On the international front, Pakistan’s‘ image saw a major
turnaround from the point where it faced diplomatic isolation.
General Pervez
Musharraf was sworn in as the 11th President of Pakistan and
concurrently held with it the office of Chief Executive till
23rd November, 2002: After fulfilling his commitment to the
people of Pakistan to hold general elections in the country on
10th October 2002, he transferred the powers of Chief Executive
to the newly elected Prime Minister. On restoration of
Constitution, he was administered fresh oath of office of
President on 31st October 2002.
President
Musharraf, the second of three brothers, was born in Delhi on
11th August, 1943. He spent his early childhood in Ankara,
Turkey, where his father was posted on a diplomatic assignment
from 1949 to 1956. He was quick to pick up Turkish language
during his stay and developed fluency in a very short time. Upon
his return to Pakistan, he pursued his education at St.
Patrick’s High School, Karachi. He was at Forman Christian
College, Lahore, when he got the call to join the Pakistan
Military Academy in 1961. From his college years, he has
retained his keen interest in water sports such as canoeing and
sailing. He also spends his leisure time playing squash, tennis
and golf. An avid reader, General Musharraf is particularly well
versed in military history-his favourite subject.
President
Musharraf was commissioned in an artillery regiment in 1964. A
graduate of Command and Staff College, Quetta, and the National
Defence College, Rawalpindi, he, later in his career, returned
to these internationally recognized premier military
institutions to serve as a faculty member. He-also had the
distinction to study at the Royal College of Defence Studies,
United Kingdom.
From the very start
of an illustrious military career, General Musharraf excelled in
his assignments. He received official recognition for valour and
bravery in action during the 1965 war. He was selected to serve
in the elite Special Services Group (SSG) “Commandos” and
participated in the 1971 war as a company commander in a
commando battalion. On promotion to the rank of major general in
January 1991, he was given the command of an infantry division
and later of a prestigious strike corps as lieutenant general in
1995. He was promoted to the rank of General on 7th October,
1998 and appointed the Chief of Army Staff. He also held the
additional charge of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
from April, 1999 to October, 2001.
President Musharraf
envisions Pakistan as a modern and moderate Islamic state. His
bold initiatives to ensure Pakistan’s steady progression on the
road to sustainable economic and social development have been
internationally praised. He considers people of Pakistan as the
most precious asset and, therefore, has always accorded special
focus to human resource development in the country. A man who
loves peace, he has shown his predisposition to dialogue over
confrontation and finding just solutions to international
disputes in accordance with UN resolutions.
He
married Sehba Farid, on 27th December, 1968. They have two
children, a son and a daughter, both now married and settled in
their respective lives. General and Mrs. Musharraf are
grandparents by virtue of their grand daughters, Maryam and
Zainab, from daughter, Ayla.
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