Pakistan Army Chief Admits Role in Kargil War

Lists the 1999 conflicts among the major wars

ISLAMABAD, September 7: In a rare public statement by acting Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir has hinted at the Pakistan Army’s involvement in the Kargil War, citing the 1999 conflict with India as one of the major wars fought with the eastern neighbour.
Munir, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), was speaking at the Defence and Martyrs’ Day celebrations in Rawalpindi on Friday.

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The 1999 Kargil conflict brought India and Pakistan to the brink of nuclear conflict. Pakistan says it withdrew after a US intervention to calm tensions, while India says it won a decisive victory in the Himalayan war.
In his speech, General Munir emphasised the army’s role in defending the motherland with the support of the Pakistani people. He also touched upon conflicts with India, including the Kargil War.
“The Pakistani nation is indeed a brave and bold nation which best understands the meaning of independence and how to protect it at all costs. Be it the Indo-Pak wars of 1948, 1965, 1971 or the Kargil or Siachen conflict, thousands of martyrs sacrificed themselves for the security and honour of the country,” Munir said.
Pakistan initially distanced itself from the conflict, claiming that only private “freedom fighters” were involved. However, the scale of the fighting soon revealed that the armies of the two countries were fighting each other.
A 2006 book titled “In the Line of Fire” written by then Pervez Musharraf, who was army chief during the Kargil War, clearly highlights the role of the Pakistan army.
Musharraf sent troops from the Northern Infantry to the Kargil theatre of operations.
After the end of the Kargil War, Pakistan awarded Captain Karnal Sher Khan of the 27th Battalion, Sind Regiment, and Havaldar Lalak Jan of the Northern Light Infantry with the highest gallantry award, known as Nishan-e-Haider. (PTI)