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| Kargil ghost continues to haunt Gen Parvez Musharraf | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 1: After having lost power about four years ago former Pakistan President and military ruler, Gen. Parvez Musharraf, continues to be painted in black colours for various political ommissions and security misadventures.
His critics continue to target him for his uncanny role he played in escalating conflict on the Kargil heights. Several senior officers in the Pak army and the ISI have accused him of engineering armed conflict in Kargil in 1999. Latest to explode a bomb against Musharraf is one retired Army Colonel in Pakistan army.
In an explosive revelation, Pakistan army Colonel (retd) Ashfaq Hussain has exposed Pervez Musharraf and blamed him for the unwarranted aggression against India in 1999 and revealed that the former Army chief had himself crossed over the LoC.
Ashfaq Hussain in his book 'Witness to Blunder' said the Kargil misadventure was masterminded by Major General Javed Hassan, General Mehmood and General Aziz. They made Musharraf agree to the plans which later lead to a limited conflict between India and Pakistan.
Hussain further claimed that Musharraf had himself crossed the LoC and spent a night on the Indian-controlled side. "On 28th March 1999 General Pervez Musharraf crossed 11 kms beyond the LoC on a helicopter and was escorted by Colonel Amjad Shabbir at a location named Zakriya "Mustakar."
Pakistan began its operation in Kargil on December 18, 1998 when Captain Nadeem, Captain Ali and Hawaldaar Lalak Jaan crossed LoC to carry out a recce.
"On 17th May 1999 Nawaz Sharif was given the Kargil briefing," the book further said.
Another former Army officer, Lt Gen (retired) Shahid Aziz, who headed the analysis wing of the ISI during the Kargil conflict, recently revealed that the operation was masterminded by a group of four Generals led by Musharraf.
Interestingly, Musharraf, in response to the allegations, has said that 1999 Kargil operation was a "big success militarily" and opined that if the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had not visited the US, the Pakistani army would have "conquered" 300 square miles of India.
However, senior Indian Army functionaries treat Gen. Musharraf's claim on Kargil success merely "Musharraf's wishful thinking." They have stated that by the time Pakistani troops had started fortifying their position on the Indian territory on the Kargil heights the Indian soldiers had begun what is called the fiercest counter attack forcing the Pak troops to begin beating a retreat.
Some senior Indian Army officers (all retired) believe that India had the capacity, which it demonstrated on the Kargil heights, to push back the Pak forces. And if Gen Musharraf claims that the Pak troops had to withdraw from the heights because of Washington's intervention it was simply a part of the story. The main story revolved round the tenacity the Indian troops displayed on difficult Kargil peaks. |
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