Special plane carrying General Pervez Musharraf’s body arrives in Karachi after hours of delay

Karachi, February 6

Pakistan’s former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf’s mortal remains arrived here on Monday on a special flight from Dubai and he will be buried on Tuesday in the Army Cantonment area where all arrangements have been completed, officials said.

Musharraf, the architect of the Kargil War in 1999 and Pakistan’s last military ruler, died on Sunday in Dubai after a prolonged illness.

Musharraf’s wife Saba, son Bilal, daughter and other close relatives arrived with the body on the special Airbus 319 aircraft of Malta aviation arranged by the UAE authorities. The aircraft touched down at the old terminal area of Jinnah International Airport amid heavy security with the former President’s family and body taken to the Malir cantonment area, officials said.

The Information Secretary of the All Pakistan Muslim League, which Musharraf formed after taking retirement, said that all arrangements have been completed.

“The funeral prayers will be offered at the Polo Ground in Malir Cantt at 1:45pm,” he said, adding Musharraf would be laid to rest at the Army Graveyard.

The former military ruler’s body was scheduled to reach Karachi airport on Monday afternoon but delay in the availability of an aircraft and some other documentation and NoCs procedures between Pakistan’s mission in the UAE and the Pakistan Government delayed the repatriation of Musharraf’s mortal remains.