Pakistan admits to involvement in 1999 Kargil War against India after 25 years of blaming ’Mujahideen’

Kargil War fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Ladakh, have resurfaced two decades after it took place. This time with Pakistan admitting to participating in the war, for the first time.

During the recent event of Defence Day in Pakistan, Army Chief General Asim Munir honoured the Pakistan soldiers who lost their lives in Kargil War, against India. Munir paid homage to Pakistan soldiers who lost their lives in several conflicts with India, including Kargil War.

It is to be noted that both India and Pakistan has carefully avoided mentioning an official position in the 1999 Kargil War for over two decades now.

"The Pakistani community is a community of braves which understands the importance of freedom and how to pay for it," Munir said.

“1948, 1965, 1971, or Kargil war between India and Pakistan, or Siachen, many have sacrificed themselves for the country and Islam”, the Pakistan Army Chief General added.

The Kargil War, fought between May and July 1999, saw Pakistani troops infiltrate the Indian side of the Line of Control in J-K’s Kargil district. India, under ‘Operation Vijay,’ forced the intruders to withdraw from strategic posts.

The Pakistani army chief also mentioned Bangladesh Mukti Juddho of 1971, in which the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi-led government helped the erstwhile east Pakistan liberate itself from Pakistan's chains of Urdu imposition and become Bangladesh.

Pakistan's stance on 1999 Kargil War

Up until now, Pakistan had consistently denied direct military involvement, labeling the infiltrators as “Kashmiri freedom fighters” or “mujahideen.” The Muslim-majority nation had also asserted that Pakistani forces were “actively patrolling” while “tribal leaders” held the heights.

The latest statement comes as a step away from the long-standing position of Pakistan, where they blamed 'Kashmiri freedom fighters' or 'Mujahideen' for orchestrating the Kargil War along the Line of Control in 1999.

Notably, India has consistently asserted that the conflict was a direct act of aggression by the Pakistani military.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who held office during the Kargil War, has publicly condemned the operation, which the Pakistani army frequently characterizes as a strategic “blunder.” Lt Gen (retd) Shahid Aziz

Further, The Pakistani army’s covert entry into Kargil, masked by the use of terrorists, was revealed through intercepted 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.

Shahid Aziz had described the Kargil War as a “four-man show,” known only to Gen. Pervez Musharraf and a few other top commanders.

Then PM of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, who signed the 1999 Lahore Declaration with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, later admitted that Pakistan had violated the agreement through its actions in Kargil.

Social media reacts to Pakistan's admission

Several journalists have shared old news articles stating that Pakistan had refused to accept the dead bodies of its army personnel. The Pakistani government had refused to take the bodies of their army personnel, which were found on Tiger Hill and Gun Hill.

The Indian Army had communicated to Pakistan the recovery of the bodies of Major Iqbal, Captain Kamal Sheikh, and Lieutenant Imtiaz Malik. However, the Indian Army never received any response. According to news reports from 1999, Indian troops buried several bodies of Pakistani soldiers in the Kargil sector with the Muslim priest presiding over the funeral.