Ailing Musharraf plans to return to politics on October 6

Islamabad: Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf plans to return to politics on October 6 after remaining inactive for over a year due to his deteriorating health, according to one of his top aides.

General (retd) Musharraf, 76, who has been living in Dubai since March 2016, is facing the treason case for suspending the Constitution in 2007, a punishable offence for which he was indicted in 2014. A conviction for high treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment Musharraf, the founder of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), took a backseat from political activities last year because of his deteriorating health.

He is now planning a comeback following an improvement in his condition, The Express Tribune quoted a party official as saying. The former president is suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body, according to his family. Speaking to The Express Tribune, APML General Secretary Mehreen Malik said the former president had received medical treatment at a hospital in London for 12 days last month. "Now he is feeling better and back at his residence in Dubai," she added.

The APML general secretary said Musharraf had also held a meeting with party officials. "He willfully resumes his political activities with the consultation of doctors," Malik said. "He is being examined by a team of doctors every day," she added. She said on Musharraf's instructions, the APML was resuming its political activities across Pakistan. "He [Musharraf] will address the party's 9th foundation day ceremony in Islamabad through a video link on October 6."

The party official said the former president would also make important political announcements soon. Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, has been declared a fugitive in the Benazir Bhutto assassination and the Red Mosque cleric killing the case.