Advertisement on Kargil embarrasses Musharraf Govt.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JULY 27. Was the Pakistan Army involved in the Kargil battle in early 1999? The question refuses to die down despite assertions by the military establishment that it had nothing to do with the Kargil war and only ``indigenous militants'' were involved.

A senior office-bearer of the Pakistan Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry appears to have unwittingly put the Musharraf Government in an embarrassing situation by putting out a half-page advertisement in a daily hailing the Army heroes for their valiant fight in Kargil.

The advertisement titled `In remembrance of Kargil heroes' coincided with the second anniversary of the Kargil war and left nobody in doubt about the involvement of the Pakistani Army in the conflict.

The advertisement by Sheikh Mazhar-ul-Haq not only talked about the direct involvement of Pakistani troops in the conflict but also paid glowing tributes for the ``supreme sacrifices'' made by them.

``The nation remembers you and all the valiant soldiers of Pakistan armed forces who, fighting with paramount courage for the defence of their dear motherland, offered supreme sacrifices and inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy in July 1999. We salute the jawans of Pakistan armed forces for demonstrating that remarkable spirit of patriotism in their lofty struggle for upholding national pride. The low-intensity conflict fought between the Pakistan Army and Indian intruders for over three months on the peaks of Himalayan mountains will go down in history as a war between the forces of patriotism and adventurism,'' the advertisement said.

It said the grit and determination of Kargil warriors would continue to serve as a beacon not only for the soldiers of Pakistan but also for the generations to come. ``The mission accomplished culminated in a roaring success for the defenders of the motherland and a humiliating defeat that the camp still views with pangs of embarrassment. It was a battering for all those who tried, though in vain, to undermine the strength and steely resolve of the Pakistani nation''.

The military establishment in Pakistan maintains that the conflict was between Indian forces and the `mujahideen' (holy warriors). This was the response of the Musharraf Government even when the former Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif, accused the military establishment of keeping him in the dark about the operations.

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Section  : International
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