Pervez Musharraf hospitalised but not on ventilator: family

Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf is not on a ventilator, his family said on Friday, putting an end to rumours that he was in critical condition.

Earlier, posts had been doing the rounds on Twitter that the former Chief of Army Staff was put on a ventilator, with some even saying that he had passed away. However, the official Twitter handle of the former military leader said, "He is not on the ventilator. Has been hospitalized for the last 3 weeks due to a complication of his ailment (Amyloidosis)."

"Going through a difficult stage where recovery is not possible and organs are malfunctioning. Pray for ease in his daily living," the tweet said.

Musharraf left the country in 2016 to seek medical treatment abroad and has been in self-imposed exile since.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein, called amyloid, builds up in the organs and interferes with their normal function.

Amyloid isn't normally found in the body, but it can be formed from several different types of protein. Organs that may be affected include the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system and digestive tract.