The PPP initially dithered on impeaching Musharraf, but under intense pressure from its ally, announced a move on August 7 to impeach him, bringing charges of misconduct, violation of constitution and financial irregularity.
Born on August 11, 1943, in Delhi, Musharraf came into the limelight in 1998 when the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif appointed him army chief on October 7.
Musharraf, the longest serving army chief in the country after General Zia-ul-Haq, would never have reached the post but for Sharif, who superseded him over several other officers.
Things, however, went wrong between Sharif and General Musharraf after the 1999 Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan, as both of them engaged in a blame game over the military misadventure. While Sharif claimed that Musharraf was solely responsible for the Kargil attack, the army chief alleged that PML(N) leader had succumbed to US pressure.
Musharraf overthrew Sharif after the PML-N leader sacked him as army chief. His first action after the Supreme Court validated his bloodless coup, was to exile Sharif from Pakistan, banning him from returning to the country for 10 years.
Image: Pakistani men watch the TV broadcast of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf addressing the nation at a restaurant in Karachi on August 18, 2008.
Photographs: Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: Don't humiliate Musharraf: US tells Pak
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