Musharraf building comfy retirement home

But for now at least, traffic can move freely on the roads along two sides and there was nothing to stop someone pressing through the bushes to get a clear view of the house.

Hammad Husain, the architect and a family friend, said the low-key security was all Musharraf's idea.

"Many people said the wall should be very high considering the security threats," Husain said. "But somehow, Mr. Musharraf has such a relaxed and cool personality that he said 'I don't want it to look like a huge, fortified castle.'"

Husain, whose father served with Musharraf in Pakistan's special forces, said the house might be finished in as little as four weeks. However, only a handful of laborers could be seen resting in the shade of the house on Friday, which has yet to be glazed or plastered.

Piles of bricks sat near the front door and a pair of idle cement mixers stood on the lawn.

Modest by elite standards
By the standards of Pakistan's narrow elite, who think little of running a fleet of Toyota Land Cruisers in a country blighted by poverty, the house is quite modest.

Husain said it was one of few in the neighborhood — rough farmland on the southern edge of the city that has been parceled up for palatial residences — that abided by local planning laws that limit the house to 10,000 square feet.

The design is supposedly informed by Moroccan, Turkish and even Japanese influences — a medley partly inspired by Musharraf's travels. The facade is to be painted terra-cotta pink to strengthen the Mediterranean flavor.

Outside, the barrel-chested former commando will have a swimming pool designed for laps and a paved walking track which snakes past a moat-bound island and an orchard of lemon, peach and apple trees as well as the strawberries.

"He's into greenery," said Husain. While not a gardener himself, Musharraf likes "being with nature."

Musharraf bought the plot about five years ago from a banker who snapped up a chunk of what has become some of the country's hottest property.

Real estate dealers say the value of the land has risen sharply and that his new home will be worth as much as $2 million.

But Husain insisted Musharraf was not like previous Pakistani rulers — including some of those now back in the political saddle — who allegedly enriched themselves in power.

He said Musharraf had taken a keen interest in the design, insisted that none of the rooms be bigger than necessary and vetoed the use of expensive elements, such as imported Italian or Spanish tiles.

"Mr. Musharraf said he couldn't afford it, so we settled for medium-range tiles," said Husain. "It's definitely not a palace."

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