Neharwali Haveli: Pervez Musharraf's Delhi connection

New Delhi, Feb 5:  Pakistan's former military dictator and President Pervez Musharraf, who passed away in a Dubai hospital on Sunday, had an old connection with Delhi where he was born in 1943.

The former Pakistani ruler was born at Neharwali Haveli, which is located in Pratap Gali in Gol Market in old Delhi's Daryaganj area, and spent the initial four years of his life here before his family moved to Pakistan after Partition.

It was bought by Musharraf's grandfather, Qazi Mohtashimuddin, a government official in Punjab following his retirement from service. Musharraf's father Syed Musharrafuddin, who graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, moved to Pakistan and got a job in the Foreign Ministry while his mother became a teacher in Pakistan.

The Haveli, which has changed from its original structure, currently has over 15 families currently staying in it, including some of Musharraf's relatives, who chose to stay in India.

A part of the Haveli forms part of Daryaganj's famous Golcha cinema. People say that the original mansion was built on top of a huge complex spread over Kucha Sadullah Khan in the congested Faiz Bazar area. This four-storey complex, built in the Mughal architecture style was spread over 700 square yards.

The Haveli has now been converted into a residential complex that includes shops, houses, and commercial premises.

In 2005, Musharraf's mother Zarin also paid a visit to their ancestral house along with her son Javed and Musharraf's son Bilal.