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.

Views and perceptions of Musharraf

Image of a moderate leader

Musharraf is considered a moderate leader by Western governments. Many believe that Musharraf is sincere in his desire to bridge the Islamic and the Western worlds and has previously spoken strongly against the idea of the inevitability of a 'clash of civilisations' between them. Furthermore, he has coined the phrase of "Enlightened Moderation" and is an ardent promulgator of the same. Musharraf's emotional ties to the United States may be conjectured to be significant since at least two close members of his family live there: his brother, a doctor, lives in Chicago, Illinois and his son, who lives in Boston, Massachusetts. His son received his Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and works for a benefits consulting company in Boston. Musharraf's only other child, a daughter, is a graduate of the National College of Arts in Lahore and is an architect. Musharraf's elder brother, who was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, was a CSP officer in the Government of Pakistan prior to retiring from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome, Italy.

Related Topics:
Western - Islam - United States - Chicago - Illinois - Boston - Massachusetts - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Architect - Rhodes Scholar - International Fund for Agricultural Development

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Musharraf's views considered relatively liberal

Musharraf was raised in a family that is considered liberal by Pakistani standards. The women of the family are unsequestered and seen and photographed in public without veils. His mother worked for the ILO and was friends with well-known Pakistani liberals. His daughter is an architect.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shortly after coming to power, and on numerous occasions afterwards, Musharraf expressed admiration for the secularist reformer of Turkey, Kemal Atatürk, outraging religious radicals in the country.

Related Topics:
Turkey - Kemal Atatürk

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Musharraf has been open to making economic reforms and to modernize Pakistan. He is considered to be a modern, English-style officer - like the old Pakistan army before Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's rule, which was heavily influenced by the United States and whose officers were often trained there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~