Pakistan general flattered Pervez Musharraf to get his support for Kargil war: Pakistan journalist

LAHORE: Some Pakistani generals who planned the 1999 Kargil war against India flattered the then army chief Pervez Musharraf that he was more daring than his predecessors to execute this venture, according to a Pakistani journalist.

Nasim Zehra, the author of a book titled 'From Kargil to the Coup: Events that shook Pakistan', said this during a discussion on her book at the Lahore Literary Festival held here on Saturday. The discussed was moderated by British journalist Owen Bennet Jones.

Narrating the conversations between General Musharraf and other three generals involved in the Kargil planning, Zehra said: "'If the Kargil operation was so simple why it was not carried out before,' asked Musharraf.

One general replied 'no one was more daring than you and only you can execute it. The three generals also said that their neck were on the line in this operation. "Those who planned the Kargil operation committed a big blunder at the planning stage thinking that India would not respond. But that did not happen and India reacted strongly and there were many causalities (of Pakistani troops)," she said.

Zehra held detailed discussion on the role of some generals who planned the Kargil operation in October/November 1998 ahead of the Lahore talks between the the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the consequences Pakistan faced in the wake of the operation.

She said India had no idea about the Kargil plan till May 1999. "They (generals) moved the troops without even the knowledge of a key officer. When the Kargil conflict took place journalists like me believed the version that it was the job of Mujaheedin," said the author adding that the civilian government and other institutions including the intelligence agencies and the Air Force chief were kept in darkness about the Kargil operation. When Nawaz Sharif was briefed about the operation after its launch, he was told that "you would become Fateh-i-Kashmir (victorious of Kashmir)."

On this then foreign minister intervened and said the talks were underway between the two countries on the Kashmir issue, the general said, "How can you take Kashmir through dialogue?" Zehra said Sharif expressed his astonishment when the defence secretary told him that Pakistan crossed over the LoC (Line of Control).

Sharif then backed the operation 'as it was in national interest'. She said after India's strong response Sharif left for the United States where he was told by then president Bill Clinton that "you have to get out (of Kargil)".