Two days after the bloodless coup, martial law was proclaimed in Pakistan, elevating the army chief to the position of supreme authority.
General Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency at 2 a.m. local time, saying: “The whole of Pakistan shall come under the control of the armed forces of Pakistan.”
Pervez Musharraf Martial Law: Why did Musharraf imposed martial law in 1999?
When Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif elevated Musharraf to four-star general in 1998, putting him in charge of the armed forces, Musharraf gained national notoriety. He oversaw the infiltration at Kargil in 1999, which ignited a conflict between India and Pakistan.
After months of tense interactions, Sharif made an unsuccessful attempt to depose Musharraf as the commander of the army. I
n retribution, the army carried out a coup d’état in 1999, which opened the door for Musharraf to become president of Pakistan in 2001. After that, he put Sharif under under house arrest before bringing charges against him in court.
He was in charge of an artillery brigade by the 1980s. Musharraf received an infantry division when he was promoted to major general in the 1990s, and he later oversaw the Special Services Group.
Soon after, he was also director general of military operations and deputy military secretary. He actively participated in the Afghan civil war by promoting Pakistani Taliban support.
When he was officially confirmed as president, Musharraf gave up his position as Chief of the Army Staff but continued to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He didn’t leave his position as Army Chief until 2007.