Nasim Zehra
Journalist Nasim Zehra’s of late published book, From Kargil To The Coup: Events That Shook Pakistan, provides the commencement meticulous documentation of the events that surrounded the controversial Kargil incursion inwards 1999 which almost brought Islamic Republic of Pakistan together with Bharat to the brink of war. It is based on scores of primary interviews amongst armed services officials, politicians, civilian bureaucrats, analysts together with Western envoys, every bit good every bit extensive inquiry from published accounts inwards the international together with domestic media. The next is an extract, reprinted nether permission, that reconstructs the commencement fourth dimension that a really secretive together with already advanced armed services performance was divulged to the civilian authorities ostensibly inwards accuse of approving such operations. What this narrative shows clearly is how the follies of non-consultative policymaking, critical non-engagement from civilians together with armed services hubris tin Pb to political disasters together with mayhap worse...
On May 17, 1999, the prime number government minister was given a detailed operational briefing on Operation Koh Paima (Op KP). It was held at the Inter Services Intelligence’s (ISI’s) Ojhri Camp office, exclusively a few miles away from Islamabad, against the backdrop of Indian press reports claiming that Mujahideen nether burn screen provided past times Pakistani soldiers had infiltrated along the Line of Control (LoC)…
The Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Tauqir Zia gave the detailed presentation. The entire Kargil clique, including the basis forces primary Gen Pervez Musharraf, the Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Aziz Khan, Commander 10 Corps Lt Gen Mahmud Ahmed, together with Commander Force Command Northern Areas (FCNA) Brigadier Javed Hassan, was present. Key men from ISI inwards attendance included the DG ISI Lt Gen Ziauddin Butt, manager analysis wing Major Gen Shahid Aziz, together with ISI’s dot human for Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan together with Kashmir Maj Gen Jamshed Gulzar, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, accompanied past times the Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz, the Finance Minister, the Minister for Northern Areas together with Kashmir Affairs Lt Gen (r) Majeed Malik, the Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmad, together with his principal secretarial assistant Saeed Mehdi.
This was the commencement interface of the prime number government minister together with his cabinet members amongst the planners together with implementers of the Kargil Operation…
DGMO Zia began the presentation amongst the words: “Sir, every bit per your want nosotros take hold made a excogitation to upgrade the liberty displace inwards Kashmir.” It would live a five-phased performance together with the commencement stage had been completed, he explained. He together with then proceeded to show, on the map, scores of positions that had already been taken. However, armed services maps without whatever text were used for the briefing. Nothing was written together with they exclusively had symbols on them. Normally, fifty-fifty armed services men receiving briefings on such maps, amongst exclusively symbols, commencement require orientation to empathise what these maps represent. For example, the LoC was non clearly demarcated on the map. Hence, during the presentation, when Pakistani together with Indian positions were pointed out to the prime number minister, he was unable to fully encompass the locations of these posts. Instead, for him, the main focus of the briefing were the achievements of the Pakistani troops. There was no bring upwards of Pakistani troops crossing the LoC, nor of the Pakistani troop build-up 5 to 10 kilometres beyond the LoC. One of the retired generals recalled, “I saw scores of positions across the LoC inwards the IOK [Indian Occupied Kashmir] area.”
India-held Kashmir is spread over 3 areas: the Jammu sector, Pir Panjal Range to the [Kashmir] valley, together with the Leh together with Ladakh sector. The entry from Jammu to the valley is through the Manihaal Pass together with from Leh together with Ladakh the entry is through the Zojila Pass. The DGMO explained that, inwards stage two, “We volition infiltrate liberty fighters into Leh together with Ladakh, who volition start the insurgency inwards the area.” In stage three, the full general predicted that, when pressure level was applied on the Indian forces from the flanking sectors through the operations of these infiltrating groups, the Indians would start bringing their troops to Ladakh together with Jammu, leaving the valley virtually drained of troops. In stage four, the DGMO explained, Islamic Republic of Pakistan would rush inwards large numbers of liberty fighters into the valley together with block the Manihaal together with Zojila passes, thereby isolating the valley together with occupying the area. The full general predicted that inwards stage five, the lastly phase, the Indians would live on their knees begging for talks together with Islamic Republic of Pakistan could dictate its ain terms.
Assumptions together with presumptions
The DGMO proceeded to percentage the iv assumptions which, according to its planners, guaranteed the success of the five-phase Op KP. First, each post service beingness held was impregnable. Second, the Indians did non take hold the volition or the determination to select on Islamic Republic of Pakistan inwards a struggle together with would non brand whatever serious endeavor to regain the heights. Third, every bit far every bit the international context was concerned, Islamic Republic of Pakistan demand non worry because at that spot would live no external pressure. Fourth, that the basis forces recognised the economical compaction faced past times the province together with hence the authorities would non live asked for whatever extra resources for operation; the basis forces would occupation its ain sources to fulfill the fiscal requirements.
The main thrust of the presentation was to inform the elected leadership of the army’s “achievements” along together with across the LoC. The impression given was that the strategic heights lay somewhere inwards the un-demarcated zones. The DGMO informed the participants that Pakistan’s troops had occupied strategic heights that Indians would similar a shot observe almost impossible to reoccupy. The basis forces primary emphasised the irreversibility factor together with said that, based on the wisdom together with experience of his entire professional person career, he could “guarantee the success of the operation.”
The thrust of the briefing was to inform the civilian participants that, because of the operation, the tempo of “jihad” would increase, that exclusively the Mujahideen were conducting the operations together with Islamic Republic of Pakistan was exclusively providing logistical support, together with that militarily the peaks taken past times the Mujahideen were impregnable. The architects of Koh Paima were confident that Bharat would commencement “create noise, together with then respond militarily, but the fighting to follow would live restricted to the operation’s area. Finally, Bharat would live quiet, the participants were told, together with tell its populace that it had retaken the peaks. This flawed supposition past times the Koh Paima architects was, inwards fact, a wishful extrapolation from what had by together with large been Pakistan’s ain response blueprint to major Indian incursions across the LoC. Especially after Bharat launched a major performance inwards 1984 to occupy the Siachen glacier, Islamic Republic of Pakistan nether the armed services ruler Gen Ziaul Haq had remained mum. No response from India, the architects concluded, would provide Islamic Republic of Pakistan amongst bargaining chips over Kashmir.
Flattery was inwards abundance. The CGS piled on more, “Sir, you lot volition larn downward inwards the history of Islamic Republic of Pakistan every bit the PM inwards whose tenure Kashmir was resolved.”
Clearly, the masterminds of Kargil were non seeking permission for the performance they had already launched. The prime number government minister was presented amongst a fait accompli. With the screen of Op KP having been nearly blown together with diplomatic pressure level imminent, the Kargil clique was seeking political together with diplomatic screen for the operation. The prime number government minister was pointedly asked if he together with his squad could politically together with diplomatically leverage their ‘unassailable’ armed services achievements to promote together with projection the Kashmir cause.
Flies together with honey
Following the DGMO, the CGS Lt. Gen. Aziz Khan rose to flatter the prime number minister. “Sir, Islamic Republic of Pakistan was created amongst the efforts of the Quaid together with the Muslim League together with they volition e'er live remembered for creating Islamic Republic of Pakistan together with similar a shot Allah has given you lot the chance together with the peril to larn India-held Kashmir together with your hollo volition live written inwards golden letters,” he declared. CGS Aziz also invoked the PM’s Kashmiri descent together with lured him amongst the possibility that “after Quaid, it is a unique chance to live remembered every bit the FatahiKashmir.”
The ISI’s dot human for Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan together with Kashmir, Lt. Gen Gulzar, also gave a presentation on the Mujahideen. Gulzar recounted the limitations of the Mujahideen, their inability to inflict heavy impairment on the Indian Army, capable exclusively of ‘softening’ the environs for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Army to displace in, but also pointed out that the Mujahideen were non introduce inwards the expanse of the operation. However, the exclusively route available for the displace of Indian weapons, troops together with supplies inwards the Srinagar together with Leh expanse was where the Mujahideen could lay ambushes, onslaught isolated armed services posts, blow upwards bridges together with culverts.
Steadfast inwards their dedication to their institutional ethos, all the men inwards uniform raised no questions at the presentation. As would later transpire, the top commanders inwards the ISI were all sceptical of, if non totally opposed to, Op KP. Lt. Gen. Gulzar would later criticise the performance every bit a “blunder of Himalayan proportions,” born of a temptation that every Commander 10 Corps would human face upon finding an “open space.” Emphasising the point, the full general would later recall, “When I took over the ascendance of 10 Corps, I had to seat my troops on a leash because they would say nosotros tin displace forrad since nosotros are on a height.”
Similarly, years later, the together with then caput of the ISI’s analysis wing Maj Gen Shahid Aziz would write, “An unsound armed services excogitation based on invalid assumptions, launched amongst trivial training together with inwards total disregard to the regional together with international environment, was jump to fail. That may good take hold been the argue for its secrecy. It was a total disaster.”
There was a divided response from the civilian participants. The DGMO pointedly asked Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmad if the Kargil province of affairs could live utilised to “feed into our endeavor to projection Kashmir.” The full general was keen to know if diplomatic payoff could live derived from this armed services operation. Noncommittally, the Foreign Secretary indicated that it mightiness live possible. Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz, however, expressed his reservations on ii counts: one, that it was incongruent amongst the spirit of the Lahore summit [held inwards Feb the same year] and, two, that the United States of America would non back upwards the operation.
First doubts
Sartaj Aziz pointedly asked his PM whether the excogitation the basis forces had made was non contrary to the project inwards the Lahore Declaration. “Sartaj Aziz Sahib, tin nosotros ever select Kashmir through paperwork? We take hold hither an chance to select Kashmir,” was a relaxed Nawaz Sharif’s response. By contrast, his unusual government minister was perturbed. He was clear that this performance would non assist Islamic Republic of Pakistan larn international back upwards for Kashmir.
The other patch perturbed human inwards the room was Sharif’s government minister for Kashmir together with Northern Areas, Majeed Malik. H5N1 retired general, Malik grilled the Commander 10 Corps close the logistics for the forrad troops. He interrogated how the supplies would attain the troops nether “adverse atmospheric condition conditions together with inwards a hostile environment.” He recalled the hazardous terrain he had personally visited. Lt Gen Mahmud’s small response was that times had changed, that “our troops are fully covered.” The retired full general also asked the DGMO, “What if the Indians create non withdraw their troops from the valley together with instead induct air powerfulness inwards the conflict theatre?” Meanwhile, the still worrier inwards the room, Sharif’s defence secretary, also a retired general, opted to non heighten whatever questions. At the conclusion of the formal meeting, he only whispered to other armed services officers, “The unusual component volition never live able to take hold this.”
The prime number government minister exclusively sought his cabinet members’ sentiment regarding the operation; he asked no tough questions himself. Based on whatever he understood regarding the operation, together with factoring inwards the reservations expressed past times his ministers, the elected prime number government minister opted to larn along amongst the fait accompli presented to him past times the military. He wanted a resolution of the Kashmir number together with appeared convinced that Op KP would advance that objective. He was perhaps also swayed past times the upbeat musical note of the DGMO’s ‘victoryalltheway’ presentation together with partly past times the notion that he was good on his means to becoming the human “whose hollo volition larn downward inwards history inwards golden words every bit the human who liberated Kashmir.” The prime number government minister took good to the words of the CGS that for the PM “after the Quaid it is a unique chance to live remembered every bit the FatahiKashmir.”
Flattery was inwards abundance. The CGS piled on more, “Sir, you lot volition larn downward inwards the history of Islamic Republic of Pakistan every bit the PM inwards whose tenure Kashmir was resolved.” In response to this, Nawaz responded, “But together with then you lot didn’t tell me when you lot volition wing the flag of Islamic Republic of Pakistan inwards Srinagar.” Civilians introduce registered this every bit a comment made inwards jest. Meanwhile, flattery addition the basis forces chief’s claim that, based on the wisdom together with experience of his entire professional person life, he could “guarantee the success of the operation,” had won Nawaz Sharif’s back upwards for Op KP.
The prime number government minister had non factored inwards the clearly stated reservations of his unusual government minister together with government minister for Kashmir together with Northern Areas. He was assured of no armed services reverses, together with he chose to believe his armed services commanders. Interestingly, at no dot during the coming together was at that spot whatever telephone substitution betwixt the PM together with the armed services men signalling Sharif’s prior cognition of the operation. There was exclusively a passing reference made inwards the DGMO’s opening comments to the PM’s March blessing given at the ISI-convened coming together to “upgrade the liberty displace inwards Kashmir.”
The most song critic, however, was the secretarial assistant of defence. The retired full general spoke for close twenty minutes, alert that Op KP would either goal inwards all-out state of war or a total armed services disaster for Pakistan. ... Implying that the basis forces ascendance had launched Op KP without clearance from the government, the defence secretarial assistant emphasised that the basis forces was non an independent trunk together with had to select orders from the government.
As the coming together drew to a close, the CGS proposed a articulation prayer for the success of Op KP. The prime number government minister asked him to Pb the articulation prayer. With this, the coming together concluded. Most introduce at the meeting, including those who later became the harshest critics of the operation, believed it would live a success.
Immediately after the meeting, the defence secretary, Lt. Gen (r) Iftikhar Ali Khan, followed the prime number government minister inwards his car. It was close 9pm together with Sharif was entering the elevator inwards the Prime Minister’s House when Iftikhar, hurriedly next him, said, “Sir, tin I beak to you? It is important.” The nation’s primary executive asked him if he could expression till the adjacent morning. The defence secretarial assistant persisted. He said he wanted to inquire ii questions. One: Did the armed services leadership larn his permission to cross the LoC? The prime number government minister asked him whether the basis forces had genuinely crossed the LoC. “Didn’t you lot banking concern annotation all that close ‘hundreds of posts’ together with that NLI troops, non liberty fighters, take hold crossed the LoC?”
Gen Iftikhar continued bespeak his 2nd question: “Crossing the LoC, Mian Sahib, you lot know has implications for war?” Late at night, the rather surprised prime number government minister said, “Why a war? And who has crossed the LoC?” He was told that close 5 to half-dozen hundred foursquare kilometres of Indian territory together with hundreds of posts had been occupied. The prime number government minister instructed the defence secretarial assistant to explicate the province of affairs to his government minister the adjacent morning.
Sinking in
The adjacent morning, 12 hours after the top armed services ascendance had briefed him on Op KP, the prime number government minister summoned key cabinet members to the PM House. Sharif chaired the meeting, which was attended past times Sartaj Aziz, Gen. (r) Majeed Malik, Minister for Religious Affairs Raja Zafarul Haq, Minister for Information Mushahid Hussain together with the defence secretary. The defence secretarial assistant registered his concerns, alert that escalation would live inevitable together with the “Indians would non select it lying down.”
Gen Iftikhar complained that, without consulting anyone or taking whatever 1 inwards confidence, a “few newspaper tigers” had started the Kargil adventure. The unusual government minister also reported that his ministry building was getting panic calls from their missions abroad. Aziz complained that his ministry building had no clue close this operation. Malik protested that he was Minister for Kashmir Affairs together with he was shocked that he had non been taken into confidence. After hearing these outpourings, the prime number government minister contacted the basis forces chief.
The basis forces primary arrived at the PM House inside an hour. There were exclusively 3 people introduce at the fourth dimension of this crucial instant of the Kargil crisis: the PM, the defence secretary, together with the basis forces chief. The PM asked Musharraf, “Did you lot cross the LoC?” Musharraf responded, “Yes, sir, I did.” “And on whose authority?” queried the prime number minister. The basis forces primary was quick to respond, “On my ain responsibleness together with if you lot similar a shot order, sir, I volition club the troops’ withdrawal.”
Nawaz Sharif turned to his defence secretarial assistant together with said, “Did you lot see? He has accepted his responsibility!” Sharif, perhaps visualising himself every bit the ‘liberator’ of Kashmir, added, “Since the basis forces is component of the government, from today onwards nosotros volition back upwards the army.” After this rather brief meeting, the basis forces was to larn the consummate back upwards of the country’s leadership.
The populace message at this stage from all stakeholders, inwards Islamabad, Rawalpindi together with abroad, was identical: the international community must rein inwards India. The same day, the prime number government minister said Islamic Republic of Pakistan was committed to dialogue amongst India. On May 19, the COAS Gen Pervez Musharraf said Indian violations of the LoC would live taken seriously. On May 20, inwards Baku, at the Council of Ministers Conference, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Siddiq Kanju, asked the basis community to assist resolve Kashmir. On May 21, Pakistan’s newly-appointed ambassador to France, Shahryar Khan, assured his hosts that Islamic Republic of Pakistan was involved inwards “serious talks” amongst India.
Meanwhile, on the policy front, the prime number minister, aided past times his key advisers, made of import decisions. After the May 17 meeting, at an informal huddle betwixt the prime number government minister together with his trusted men, Shahbaz Sharif, Gen Iftikhar together with Chaudhry Nisar, the determination was taken to back upwards the army. The 3 said that Nawaz Sharif should institutionalise the number together with select it to the DCC. Several formal meetings were later held. The informal consultations amongst his trusted men also continued. On May 23, a highlevel coming together was held betwixt the prime number minister, the COAS together with the CGS to beak over Kargil.
In fact, 1 time the screen blew from Op KP, the authorities sought regular armed services updates from the Kargil clique. The Kargil planners, too, were keen for a political buyin to Op KP. The GHQ organised briefings for the president, senators together with parliamentarians, which included special prayer sessions for the success of the operation. At 1 of the prayer sessions at the ISI headquarters, led past times the CGS Gen. Aziz, the Minister for the Interior Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain was also present.
Stunned at Hotel Scheherazade
The prime number government minister sought an assessment of the province of affairs from his senior diplomatic squad before the Defense Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) coming together scheduled for the goal of May. Accordingly, Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz convened a high-level coming together at the Foreign Office, formerly the grand hotel Scheherazade, to beak over the armed services together with diplomatic developments. The participants of the May 23 coming together included senior Islamic Republic of Pakistan Muslim League leader Raja Zafarul Haq, Minister for Petroleum Chaudhry Nisar, Secretary Defence Lt. Gen. Iftikhar Ali Khan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Siddiq Kanju, Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmad Khan, Additional Secretary Prime Minister’s Secretariat Tariq Fatemi, Additional Secretary United Nations Riaz Mohammad Khan, COAS Gen Pervez Musharraf, CGS Lt. Gen Aziz, DirectorGeneral ISI Lt. Gen Ziauddin, Commander 10 Corps Lt. Gen Mahmud, deputy Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Aliuddin, together with Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Abdul Aziz Mirza.
The briefing was given past times Gen Aziz. Aziz said nosotros did this to interdict the Siachen road, thereby forcing Bharat to solve the Kashmir issue. Most of the civilian participants realised the scale of Op KP for the commencement time. They asked probing questions regarding the objectives of the operation. The basis forces primary was asked close the objectives of Op KP together with Islamic Republic of Pakistan military’s powerfulness to retain the territory occupied across the LoC. The confident basis forces chief’s response was, “We tin defend every inch of our ain territory together with nosotros are firmly entrenched inwards the positions nosotros are asset inwards Kargil.”
There were many critics of the operation. For example, many questions came from Majeed Malik, who had himself commanded this expanse every bit a corps commander and, before on, every bit sectionalization commander. He said that, if Islamic Republic of Pakistan had to interdict this road, it could take hold been done from lower heights instead of taking our troops to the Kargil peaks, where the atmospheric condition would live their worst enemy. Malik pointed specially to the difficulty of maintaining provide lines for the troops. The worried elderly Raja Zafarul Haq nearly reprimanded the Kargil planners for non taking others inwards the authorities into confidence if their objective were to highlight the Kashmir issue. All futurity activeness must similar a shot follow proper consultation, he emphasised.
The consensus amidst senior navy together with air forcefulness officers was that opening of novel fronts past times Bharat could non live ruled out. They asked why they had non been consulted before since whatever defence excogitation inwards instance of Indian retaliation had to live an integrated armed forces defence plan. Criticism kept piling up. The deputy air primary also wondered, “After all, what volition nosotros attain from all this?” CGS Aziz’s response was that, past times applying pressure level on the main provide artery NH1, Bharat would live forced to the negotiating tabular array on Kashmir.
Senior Foreign Office officials inwards the coming together warned that this performance would live indefensible on global forums. Additional Secretary United Nations Riaz Mohammad Khan categorically stated, “If it comes to the UNSC [UN Security Council], our seat volition live undercut.” The Chinese along amongst other UNSC members would simply inquire Islamic Republic of Pakistan to observe the LoC together with vacate the areas occupied across the LoC inwards Indian Occupied Kashmir, he told those gathered. Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmad expressed job organisation regarding the possible expansion of the conflict together with told the participants, “I cannot guarantee that Bharat volition non onslaught on the international borders.” The unusual secretarial assistant cautioned the basis forces against repeating the miscalculation made prior to the 1965 Operation Gibraltar, when the key armed services together with civilian officials had guaranteed that Bharat would non retaliate across the international border. The confident basis forces primary dispelled these concerns together with maintained, “We tin defend every inch of our territory.” Discussions bordered on beingness polemical rather than strategic. One of the generals asserted, “Whatever nosotros may say here, our animosity amongst Bharat is eternal.”
Those diplomats amongst an institutional retention of Kashmir questioned if the Op KP-related give-and-take could genuinely assist to highlight Kashmir at the UN. Seasoned diplomat Riaz Mohammad Khan pointedly said, “If it is brought to the UN, our seat volition live undermined.” There had already been give-and-take inside the international community close undermining the sanctity of the LoC. In 1965 together with inwards 1971, when the Kashmir instance was taken to the UNSC for discussion, the determination on both occasions was on the ceasefire together with non on the Kashmir issue. In the instance of Kargil too, had the thing been taken to the UNSC, it would take hold called for withdrawal together with led to the farther strengthening of the LoC. The basis forces insisted that the line was fuzzy together with inwards some places the Mujahideen were also involved inwards the fighting. When asked past times 1 of the unusual component officials how the Mujahideen could struggle so valiantly against the wellequipped Indian army, the basis forces spokesperson Rashid Qureshi said, “Because the Indians from the plains are non acclimatised together with they die!”
At the conclusion of the meeting, the 3 ministers — Sartaj Aziz, Majeed Malik together with Raja Zafarul Haq — held a postmortem of the DCC coming together inwards Sartaj Aziz’s office. There prevailed a feeling amidst these experienced men that the performance was probable to campaign serious armed services together with diplomatic problems. Yet, abrupt withdrawal, leading to high casualties, was non an option. Indeed, amongst the basis forces already claiming it a success, who would bell the truthful cat of bespeak the Kargil clique to withdraw? Nevertheless, Zafarul Haq believed the deficiencies inwards Op KP had to live addressed. The planners would translate recommendations regarding the performance every bit a signal to continue. The civilian authorities may live held responsible inwards instance Op KP failed. What followed could also live an basis forces takeover.
The 3 senior ministers together with then shared their concerns together with conclusions amongst the prime number minister, who agreed amongst them on the demand to select the navy together with air forcefulness on board inwards all futurity discussions on Op KP.
Whose state of war is it anyway?
Around this time, Pakistan’s Military Intelligence (MI) also got active. Its Director-General, Major Gen Ehsanul Haq, invited the armed services attachés of Western countries to GHQ for a briefing on Op KP. The DG MI together with the DGMO conducted the briefing followed past times a question-and-answer session. The defence attachés left the briefing amongst the agreement that these senior Pakistani armed services officials had acknowledged that Pakistani troops were involved together with it was non a Mujahideen operation. The Western armed services attachés, including the American together with the British, reported dorsum to their embassies together with later to their headquarters that fighting was genuinely taking house on the Indian side of the LoC. Publicly, however, Islamabad still maintained that exclusively the Mujahideen were involved. The media, based on Western diplomatic mission backgrounders, reported that the DG MI had acknowledged that at that spot were Pakistani troops across inwards the Indian side of the LoC. Interestingly at this time, Islamabad’s ain diplomats, stationed fifty-fifty at the headquarters, were groping inwards the black for data close the reported flareup along the LoC.
After the MI briefing, the United States of America armed services attaché inwards the diplomatic mission informed his ambassador William Milam that fighting was going on on the Indian side of LoC. The American data until together with then was that it was a grouping of Mujahideen. The armed services attaché had attended the briefing at the GHQ given past times the DG MI together with the DGMO. Following the briefing, the attaches snooped around for to a greater extent than information. The armed services attaché met his counterpart patch the political attaché met amongst retired armed services officers. With confirmation that Pakistani troops had crossed the LoC, the “really excited United States of America diplomats” told Washington close it. The United States of America State Department responded past times issuing its commencement statement, calling upon Islamic Republic of Pakistan to withdraw its troops.
This disceptation prompted the Additional Secretary of the Foreign Office Tariq Altaf to telephone weep upwards inwards Ambassador Milam together with inquire why Washington had defendant Islamic Republic of Pakistan of fighting across the LoC. The United States of America ambassador informed him that it was the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Army itself who had given them this information. Upon hearing Milam’s response, it seemed that “Altaf had been kicked together with his human face fell”, according to United States of America ambassador Milam himself.
Following the AltafMilam exchange, Foreign Minister Aziz called the DG MI together with complained close the imitation pas he had committed. The MI primary said he had been misquoted. Nevertheless, the stories of the defence attaché regarding Pakistani troop presence remained inwards circulation.
Clueless cabinet
Towards the goal of May, the prime number government minister decided to select his cabinet into confidence on Op Kp. He convened a cabinet coming together at which the DirectorGeneral ISI Lt. General Ziauddin Butt was to introduce a briefing. Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmad together with Defence Secretary Iftikhar were also present. Although inwards his individual meetings amongst the prime number government minister the DG ISI was critical close Op KP, at this cabinet coming together he presented wide details of the operation. He talked of the liberty fighters together with held that the performance was progressing satisfactorily. The intelligence chief, however, opted to non percentage his ain assessment of the operation. Similarly, the unusual secretary, who had expressed some reservations close Op KP at before meetings, at this cabinet coming together opted to pick no holes. He gave no hint of the performance beingness a potential beginning of whatever diplomatic disadvantage for Pakistan, and, instead, indicated that some create goodness could live derived from it.
A barrage of hard questions followed Butt’s briefing. The bulk present, however, was pleased amongst the progress reported on Op KP. The Minister for Water together with Power Gohar Ayub praised the basis forces for doing a “great job” together with advocated back upwards for the operation. Minister of Culture, Sports, Tourism together with Youth Affairs Sheikh Rashid Ahmad also praised the army, patch the government minister for religious affairs said, “The fourth dimension is similar a shot ripe for jihad.” There were also critics of Op KP. These included Minister for Communications Raja Nadir Pervez together with Minister for Health Makhdoom Javed Hashmi.
The most song critic, however, was the secretarial assistant of defence. The retired full general spoke for close twenty minutes, alert that Op KP would either goal inwards all-out state of war or a total armed services disaster for Pakistan. ... Implying that the basis forces ascendance had launched Op KP without clearance from the government, the defence secretarial assistant emphasised that the basis forces was non an independent trunk together with had to select orders from the government. He was also critical of placing jihad every bit the key chemical ingredient inwards Pakistan’s defence structure. He wondered, “Why take hold nosotros after 52 years realised the importance of jihad?” The defence secretary’s brother, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, also raised hard questions. The thrust of Nisar’s remarks was that based on his information, Islamic Republic of Pakistan was heading for a armed services disaster inwards Kargil-Drass. “Who had ordered the operation?” the government minister rhetorically asked the armed services presenters. Nevertheless, Nisar’s caution was against an performance already underway.
Some altercation amidst powerful men ensued. Reacting to the defence secretary’s presentation, the visibly distraught Gohar Ayub asked why the defence secretarial assistant was opposing the excogitation of the basis forces chief. Sheikh Rashid also queried why the defence secretarial assistant was revealing “secrets.” … The prime number government minister called the coming together to an end. He was similar a shot facing a divided house inside together with mounting pressures from the outside. The Kargil planners, meanwhile, saw no argue to pay psyche to whatever concerns expressed inwards the cabinet meeting.
Reprinted amongst permission from the author
Nasim Zehra is a national safety specialist together with a well-known journalist
Published inwards Dawn, EOS, July 1st, 2018
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