Pakistan former President Pervez Musharraf dies in Dubai hospital

Pakistani former President Pervez Musharraf died on Sunday following a prolonged illness at a hospital in Dubai, after years in self-imposed exile.

Pakistan's military and the country's mission in the United Arab Emirates announced the death of the former army chief, 79, who was pushed from power in 2008. "I can confirm that he passed away this morning," Shazia Siraj, spokesperson for Pakistan's consulate in Dubai and embassy in Abu Dhabi, told Reuters.

The chiefs of Pakistan's army, navy and air force expressed condolences on his death, the public relations wing of the military said. The former four-star general, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, oversaw rapid economic growth and attempted to usher in socially liberal values in the conservative Muslim country.

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