Pervez Musharraf

General Pervez Musharraf ({{lang-ur| ????? ????}}; born August 11, 1943, Near Delhi, India) became de facto Head of Government (using the title Chief Executive and assuming extensive powers) of Pakistan on October 12, 1999 following a bloodless coup d'état. He assumed the office of President of Pakistan (becoming Head of State) on June 20, 2001.

After September 11, 2001

Support for War on Terror

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, Secretary of State Colin Powell and other administration officials met with Musharraf. Musharraf sided with the United States against the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Musharraf's reversal of policy and help to the U.S. military was critical. U.S. bombing rapidly overthrew the Taliban regime.

Related Topics:
September 11 - 2001

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Tensions with India

On December 13, 2001, a group of terrorists

Related Topics:
December 13 - 2001

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attacked India's Parliament with bombs and guns. India, blaming Pakistan for the attack

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and the United States for being taken in by Musharraf, mobilized for a retaliatory

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strike. Musharraf rejected as preposterous the claim that Pakistan had anything to do with the attacks.

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Intense pressure from Washington followed. The Washington Post (Jim Hoagland, January 17) said that "the United States extracted promises from

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Gen. Musharraf that Pakistan's intelligence service and army will

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cease giving food, weapons and other logistical help to infiltrators

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who carry out terrorist raids into India and Indian-controlled

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Kashmir. The army will no longer provide mortar fire to cover the

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infiltrators, who have been cut adrift by Musharraf."

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Renouncing extremism

On January 12, 2002, Musharraf gave a landmark speech against Islamic extremism.

Related Topics:
January 12 - 2002

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Musharraf unequivocally

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condemned all acts of terrorism, including those carried out in the

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name of freeing Kashmir's Muslim majority from Indian rule. He also

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pledged to combat Islamic extremism and lawlessness within Pakistan

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itself.

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