Former president General (retd) Pervaiz Musharaf’s body will be repatriated to Pakistan today from the United Arab Emirates, where he passed away on Sunday at the age of 79 after a prolonged illness.
The mortal remains of the former army chief will be flown to Pakistan on a special flight at 11:30am Pakistan time.
The Pakistani embassy in the UAE had issued a no objection certificate (NOC) for the repatriation of Musharraf’s body to Pakistan at the request of his family.
Former military leader’s wife Sehba Musharraf, son Bilal and daughter Ayla will bring the deceased’s body to Pakistan.
The doctors suggested the immediate burial of Musharraf after the body reaches Pakistan.
The former president’s body has been kept in the mortuary of a local hospital as of now.
Musharraf’s family had filed an application in the Pakistani consulate in Dubai to shift the former military leader’s body to Pakistan.
‘Musharraf to be laid to rest in Karachi’
The former president will be buried in a Karachi graveyard, confirmed his family sources. The bereaved family formally approached Pakistan’s consulate in Dubai seeking permission to shift the mortal remains of Musharraf to Pakistan.
It is pertinent to mention here that the former president’s mother was buried in Dubai while his father was laid to rest in Karachi. “His [Musharraf] passport has been cancelled,” the diplomatic officials said, adding that the special plane carrying the body of the former army chief will land in Rawalpindi.
Earlier, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed that they were facilitating the transportation of the mortal remains of the former army chief.
“Our missions in the UAE are in contact with the family and are facilitating the transportation of the mortal remains,” she added.
Condolences
As soon as Musharraf’s death was reported, politicians including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as well as chief of army staff offered their condolences over his demise.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad, and tri-services chiefs expressed heartfelt condolences on Musharraf’s death.
“CJCSC and services chiefs express heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of General Pervez Musharraf, former president, CJCSC and chief of army staff. May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family,” the military’s media wing said.
