Pakistan has officially acknowledged its direct military involvement in the 1999 Kargil War with India. For over two decades, Pakistan denied the participation of its regular troops, instead attributing the conflict to Mujahideen or Kashmiri freedom fighters. This revelation was made by Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir during a Defence Day event in 2024.
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On Defence Day, General Asim Munir delivered a speech at the Pakistan Army’s headquarters in Rawalpindi. General Munir acknowledged the sacrifices made by Pakistani soldiers not only in the Kargil War but also in earlier conflicts such as those in 1948, 1965 and 1971.
This is the first time an official statement from the Pakistan Army has openly recognized its role in the Kargil War.
For years, the official stance from Islamabad had been to deny direct military involvement in the conflict. Pakistani authorities referred to the intruders as Kashmiri freedom fighters or mujahideen and claimed that the Pakistani military was only engaged in patrolling activities while tribal leaders occupied the heights.
During the conflict Pakistan refused to accept the bodies of its soldiers, a move that was interpreted as an attempt to distance itself from the operation.
The Kargil War was fought between India and Pakistan, occurred from May to July 1999. The conflict was concentrated in the Kargil district of Ladakh along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between the two nations in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan’s forces, disguised as Kashmiri militants or Mujahideen infiltrated the Indian side of the LoC.
Their goal was to capture strategic areas in the Kargil sector, giving Pakistan a tactical advantage over India by cutting off the Srinagar-Leh highway, which connected mainland India to the Ladakh region.
India responded with Operation Vijay launched in May 1999. This operation was supported by the Indian Air Force and it was aimed at regaining control of the strategic heights and driving out the Pakistani infiltrators.
After nearly three months of fighting in harsh mountainous terrain, Indian forces successfully reclaimed the occupied positions by July 26, 1999.
For 25 years, Pakistan has maintained that the Kargil conflict was led by Mujahideen groups fighting for the liberation of Kashmir.
The Pakistani government repeatedly denied the involvement of its regular army, portraying the infiltrators as Kashmiri freedom fighters. This narrative was supported by then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was in office during the war.
Pakistan’s government and military claimed that the Kargil conflict was initiated by Kashmiri Mujahideen. These fighters, according to Pakistan were local resistance forces seeking independence from Indian rule in Kashmir.
The Pakistani authorities denied any direct military involvement stating that regular Pakistani troops were not part of the infiltration into the Kargil heights. Instead, they insisted that the infiltration was a localized movement led by tribal leaders and freedom fighters.
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Several reports and communications intercepted by Indian intelligence suggested that the operation was indeed a covert mission planned and executed by the Pakistan Army.
Former Pakistani generals have since admitted that only a handful of top commanders were aware of the true extent of the military’s involvement.
The turning point in this denial came on September 6, 2024, during an event commemorating Pakistan’s Defence Day.
In a speech honoring the soldiers who lost their lives in various conflicts with India, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir openly acknowledged that Pakistani troops had indeed fought in the Kargil War.
Munir paid tribute to the Pakistani soldiers who laid down their lives in several wars with India including the Kargil conflict. This was the first time that the Kargil War was publicly mentioned in such a context.
General Munir’s speech addressed the Kargil War and also referenced earlier conflicts between India and Pakistan, such as the wars of 1948, 1965 and 1971, along with the tensions at the Siachen Glacier.
Munir’s statement indicated that Pakistani soldiers had indeed made sacrifices during the Kargil War, validating India’s claim that Pakistan’s army was directly involved.
India has consistently maintained that the Kargil War was a clear act of aggression by Pakistan. Indian intelligence agencies intercepted several communications between Pakistani military officials including then Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf and his Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen Mohammed Aziz, proving that the operation was planned and executed by the Pakistani Army.
Indian intelligence intercepted key communications during the war between General Musharraf, who was in Beijing at the time and his Chief of General Staff. These communications exposed the Pakistani military’s direct involvement in the infiltration.
India also recovered several pieces of evidence from the battlefield including paybooks, weapons and uniforms of regular Pakistani soldiers.
Indian forces had to bury many of the Pakistani soldiers who died during the war. Despite notifying the Pakistani government about the recovery of bodies, India received no response, forcing it to conduct the funerals according to Islamic traditions.
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