Army offers Musharraf air ambulance to Pak: Report
LAHORE: The Pakistan army has offered to facilitate the return of former strongman General Pervez Musharraf, who is in critical condition and in a hospital in the United Arab Emirates, according to a media report on Tuesday.
“The military contacted the family of Gen. Musharraf and offered its help in his treatment and bringing him back home,” a report in Dunya TV said. He may be brought back to the country in an air ambulance, the report said.
“All arrangements to bring Gen. Musharraf back to Pakistan (are) being made after family’s consent and doctors’ advice. This includes the air ambulance… The institution (of the Army) stands by its ex-chief,” TV anchor Kamran Shahid said in a tweet.
Musharraf, 78, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, was charged with high treason and given a death sentence in 2019 for suspending the Constitution. His death sentence was later suspended.
His family has confirmed that the ex-general is in the hospital and not expected to recover.
“Gen Musharraf has been hospitalised for the last three weeks due to a complication of his ailment (Amyloidosis). (He is) Going through a difficult stage where recovery is not possible and organs are malfunctioning. Pray for ease in his daily living,” his family said in a statement on Friday.
Amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein builds up in organs and interferes with the normal function. He was diagnosed with the life-threatening disease Amyloidosis in 2018 in the UAE.
Musharraf left for Dubai in March 2016 for medical treatment and has not returned since.
On Saturday, defence minister Khawaja Asif said,“in view of
General Musharraf’s ill health, there should be no obstacle for him to return home. Past events should not be allowed to interfere in this regard”.
Pak, Iran discuss India
The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Iran discussed the controversial comments of a former Indian ruling party worker’s against Prophet Mohammad as well as Jammu and Kashmir during bilateral talks in Tehran on Tuesday.
Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-zardari briefed his Iranian counterpart Dr Hossein Amir-abdollahian “on the serious situation of human rights” in Jammu and Kashmir, the foreign office spokesperson said on Twitter.
“We are grateful for Iranian leadership’s steadfast support for the just cause of Jammu and Kashmir,” the tweet said.
Bilawal also called on “international community to show common resolve against xenophobia, intolerance and incitement to violence on the basis of religion or belief”, referring to the remarks made by BJP worker Nupur Sharma against the Prophet, it added.