TNFLahore/ TNF
In a significant development, the Pakistani army has officially acknowledged its involvement in the 1999 Kargil War, marking the first time it has done so in 25 years. The admission came from General Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff, during a speech on Pakistan’s Defense Day on Friday. Speaking at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, General Munir stated, “Thousands of people have sacrificed their lives in conflicts including the wars of 1948, 1965, 1971, and Kargil, as well as in Siachen.”
The Kargil War, fought between May and July 1999, saw Pakistani troops infiltrate into Indian territory in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir. India responded with ‘Operation Vijay,’ which forced the intruders to retreat from key strategic positions.
Historically, Pakistan had consistently denied its army’s involvement in the Kargil conflict, referring to the intruders as “Kashmiri freedom fighters” or “mujahideen.” Pakistan had also claimed that its army was merely conducting patrols while “tribesmen” occupied the high-altitude positions.
This recent admission has caused a stir on social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter). Journalists have been sharing old statements from the Pakistani army in which they had refused to acknowledge their soldiers’ deaths.
During the Kargil War, then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif openly criticized the operation, which has since been described by the Pakistani military as a strategic “blunder.” After his retirement, former Pakistani military officer Lieutenant General (retd) Shahid Aziz admitted to the army’s role in the operation, describing it as a “four-man show” known only to General Pervez Musharraf and a few top commanders.
Nawaz Sharif, who signed the 1999 Lahore Declaration with then-Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, later admitted that Pakistan had violated the agreement with its actions in Kargil. This recent confirmation from the Pakistani army adds a new dimension to the historical narrative of the Kargil War and reflects the ongoing complexities of South Asian military history.
