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Revision as of 23:24, 7 December 2002 by Graft (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)General Pervez Musharraf became ruler of Pakistan in 1999. Immediately prior to this, he was head of the army. He seized power in a military coup, placing the previous prime minister Nawaz Sharif under house arrest, in October 1999 and formally became President of the country on June 20, 2001.
Musharraf was born in 1943 in what is now India. He moved with his parents to Pakistan in 1947. He was trained as a commando and fought in two wars against India.
Musharraf is considered a moderate leader by Western governments because he is willing to deal with the West. He has been open to making economic reforms and to modernize Pakistan. He is considered to be secular, and his rise to power was marked by a widespread purge of Islamist elements within the military and security forces.