From 1999 Coup to Dubai Exile: the Timeline of Pervez Musharraf's Children and Legacy
By James H. Sterling
The closing chapter of Pervez Musharraf's life was defined by debilitating illness. Diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare condition that causes organ dysfunction through protein buildup, he required round-the-clock medical care at the American Hospital Dubai. Sehba Musharraf led his primary caregiving, with Bilal and Ayla traveling between their residences to manage consultations.
Musharraf died on February 5, 2023, at the age of 79. Two days later, a special Pakistan Air Force flight transported his body from Dubai to Karachi. At the funeral prayers held at the Polo Ground in Malir Cantonment, Bilal Musharraf stood beside senior retired military commanders, including former army chiefs General Qamar Javed Bajwa and General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. He observed the rites quietly, dressed in traditional mourning attire, and declined all press interviews before the coffin was interred at the Army Graveyard near the National Stadium.
In the aftermath, the children confronted the settlement of the Musharraf estate. The former president's asset declarations had listed properties including a farmhouse in Chak Shahzad outside Islamabad, residential plots in Karachi, and bank accounts in Pakistan and the UAE. Several domestic assets had been subjected to attachment orders by Pakistani courts handling cases related to the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the 2006 killing of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti. Managing probate meant navigating quiet legal channels rather than mounting public political campaigns.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
