Why Musharraf is facing a death sentence

Musharraf becomes the first military ruler of Pakistan to receive the capital punishment in the country's history. He was sentenced in absentia, has been out of the country since 2016, when he was allowed to leave on bail to seek medical treatment abroad.

In an infamous purge in 2007, Musharraf imposed a state of emergency and placed several key judges under house arrest in Pakistan. He came to power after ousting former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a 1999 bloodless coup. Later, when he was back in office, Sharif first accused Musharraf of treason in 2013 and the general was formally charged in 2014.