Pakistan's former military ruler, retired general Pervez Musharraf, has launched a career as a political analyst on a weekly television talk show, a prominent role for the ex-leader who lives in Dubai and faces several criminal cases at home. The show, "Pakistan First with President Musharraf", debuted on Sunday on Pakistan's Bol TV, a channel that recently ran afoul of government regulators when one of its hosts was accused of hate speech.
In the first episode of the programme on Sunday, the former general appeared live from Dubai and responded to questions about the security situation in Pakistan, where more than 130 people were killed in militant attacks in February. Speaking about the latest military campaign targeting militant groups, Musharraf argued that the root cause of extremism had to be addressed. Neither Musharraf nor representatives of Bol TV were available for comment. Pakistan's military did not comment when contacted about the show, nor did the television regulatory authority.