The Kargil War, a conflict fought between India and Pakistan in the Kargil district of Ladakh from May to July 1999, has resurfaced in the news two decades after it took place. This time, the spotlight is on a crucial admission by Pakistan—an acknowledgment of its direct participation in the war.
During Pakistan’s recent Defence Day event, Army Chief General Asim Munir honored the Pakistani soldiers who lost their lives in the Kargil War. Munir’s tribute extended to soldiers who perished in various conflicts with India, including the Kargil War. It’s worth noting that for over two decades, both India and Pakistan have carefully avoided taking an official stance on the 1999 Kargil War.
“The Pakistani community is a community of braves which understands the importance of freedom and how to pay for it,” Munir stated. He added, “1948, 1965, 1971, or Kargil war between India and Pakistan, or Siachen, many have sacrificed themselves for the country and Islam”.
The Kargil War witnessed Pakistani troops infiltrating the Indian side of the Line of Control in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir. India launched ‘Operation Vijay,’ successfully forcing the intruders to withdraw from strategic posts.
The Pakistani army chief also referenced the 1971 Bangladesh Mukti Juddho (Liberation War), highlighting the role of India’s then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s government in supporting East Pakistan’s liberation from Pakistan.
A Shift in Pakistan’s Narrative
Until now, Pakistan consistently denied direct military involvement in the Kargil War. They attributed the infiltrators to ‘Kashmiri freedom fighters’ or ‘mujahideen,’ asserting that Pakistani forces were ‘actively patrolling’ while ‘tribal leaders’ held the strategic heights. This latest statement marks a departure from Pakistan’s long-held position, shifting away from the blame placed on ‘Kashmiri freedom fighters’ for orchestrating the Kargil War along the Line of Control in 1999.
India, on the other hand, has consistently maintained that the conflict was a direct act of aggression by the Pakistani military. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was in office during the Kargil War, has publicly condemned the operation, which the Pakistani army frequently portrays as a strategic ‘blunder’.
Revealing Intercepted Communications
The Pakistani army’s covert entry into Kargil, disguised through the use of terrorists, came to light through intercepted communications. These communications, between Gen. Musharraf, who was in Beijing, and his Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen Mohammed Aziz, in Rawalpindi on May 26 and May 29, revealed the truth.
Lt Gen (retd) Shahid Aziz has described the Kargil War as a ‘four-man show,’ known only to Gen. Pervez Musharraf and a select few top commanders. Then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, who signed the 1999 Lahore Declaration with former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, later acknowledged that Pakistan violated the agreement through its actions in Kargil.
Social Media Reactions to Pakistan’s Admission
Social media has been abuzz with reactions to Pakistan’s admission. Several journalists have shared old news articles highlighting Pakistan’s refusal to accept the bodies of its army personnel killed in the war. These bodies were found on Tiger Hill and Gun Hill. The Indian Army communicated the recovery of the bodies of Major Iqbal, Captain Kamal Sheikh, and Lieutenant Imtiaz Malik to Pakistan, but no response was received. According to news reports from 1999, Indian troops buried several bodies of Pakistani soldiers in the Kargil sector, with a Muslim priest presiding over the funeral.
Pakistan’s admission to its direct involvement in the 1999 Kargil War has opened a new chapter in the narrative surrounding this conflict. This acknowledgment, after two decades of denial, has sparked widespread debate and discussion, adding another layer to the complex history between India and Pakistan.
