Pakistani Army officially accepts role in 1999 Kargil War

Nearly 25 years after the Kargil war with India, the Pakistan Army has for the first time publicly accepted its involvement in it.Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir in a defence day speech on Friday said, "1948, 1965, 1971 or Kargil war between India and Pakistan, or Siachen, many have sacrificed themselves in them".

The Pakistani Army has never publicly and officially accepted its direct involvement in the Kargil War. When the war broke out in 1999, Islamabad did not openly admit to direct military involvement, often referring to the infiltrators as "Kashmiri freedom fighters" or "mujahideen."

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The country continued to say, Pakistan forces were ‘actively patrolling’ while "tribal leaders" were occupying the heights.

Ajay Bisaria, former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan told WION, "It is well accepted that the Kargil misadventure did not help Pakistan and was Musharraf’s folly, executed by him and a cabal of four generals. Nawaz Sharif has openly criticised it."

Previously, only former officials have accepted the Pakistani army's role in the war. These include Lt Gen (retd) Shahid Aziz who openly talked about the role of regular Pakistani troops in Kargil. His admission came once he retired from the forces.

Aziz described the operation as a "four-man show," kept secret from other military commanders. According to him, the Kargil operation was known only to Gen Pervez Musharraf, chief of general staff Lt Gen Mohammad Aziz, FCNA (Force Command Northern Areas) commander Lt Gen Javed Hassan, and 10-Corps commander Lt Gen Mahmud Ahmad.

The former Indian high commissioner explained, "The Pakistan army’s direct involvement in Kargil is well established and accepted in Pakistani writings, including the book by Naseem Zehra, which is based on interviews with Pakistani generals"

Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's prime minister during the Kargil War, also acknowledged the country's role, though this admission came after he left office. Sharif admitted that Pakistan had violated the 1999 Lahore Declaration, which he had signed with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.