Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has admitted that his country “violated” a peace agreement with India in 1999. This disclosure came as Sharif assumed the Pakistan Muslim League’s (Nawaz) presidency, six years after being disqualified by the country’s Supreme Court.
“On May 28, 1998, Pakistan carried out five nuclear tests. After that Vajpayee Saheb came here and agreed with us. But we violated that agreement… it was our fault,” Sharif said.
The agreement referred to by Sharif was the “Lahore Declaration” signed by him and then-Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on February 21, 1999. The declaration aimed to promote peace and stability between India and Pakistan.
However, shortly after the signing, Pakistani troops infiltrated the Kargil district in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the Kargil War. Pakistan also continued to support and facilitate cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and Pakistan-based terrorist groups carried out several attacks on Indian soil, including the attack on the Indian Parliament and the Mumbai attacks.
Sharif’s admission of Pakistan’s violation of the peace agreement is a significant development. It could potentially lead to a reassessment of relations between India and Pakistan and provide an opportunity for renewed dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.
