Proof of the involvement of regular Pakistani soldiers in the 1999 Kargil war has come from an institution that has been for years denying its role in the hostilities with India — the Pakistan Army.
Eleven years after the Kargil war, the Pakistan Army has quietly included the names of 453 soldiers and officers who were killed during the conflict on its website.
The 453 Pakistani soldiers are shown as killed in the Batalik-Kargil sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
The names of those who died in Kargil are tucked away in a list of thousands of personnel killed while on duty posted in the “Shuhada's Corner” (Martyrs Corner) of the website.
The very first page of the long list includes the names of Captain Karnal Sher and Havildar Lalak Jan, who were both killed on July 7, 1999 in Kargil and awarded Pakistan's highest military award, the Nishan-e-Haider. Several others were posthumously given other gallantry awards like the Tamgha-e-Jurat (Medal of Courage).
The Army also reveals the codename given to the operation to occupy strategic mountains and heights on the Indian side of the LoC — “Operation Koh-e-Paima” or Mountain of Resolve. In some cases, the campaign is also referred to as “Operation Kargil”.
A majority of those who died in Kargil were soldiers from the Northern Light Infantry, a formation that was made a regular regiment of the Pakistan Army because of its performance in the 1999 conflict. It was earlier a paramilitary force formed by the amalgamation of several militias from the Northern Areas or Gilgit-Baltistan.
Several causes are cited for those who died in Kargil — “killed in action”, “enemy action”, “enemy firing”, “enemy artillery shelling” and even “road accident”. The list gives the name, rank, unit, and location and nature of death of each casualty.
During the Kargil conflict and in subsequent years, the Pakistan Army insisted that none of its regular soldiers were involved in the hostilities. This stance continued despite the Indian Army capturing several serving soldiers. The Pakistan Army never issued an official list of its casualties.
The first admission of the Pakistan Army's involvement in the conflict came from the former Army chief and President Pervez Musharraf, who revealed in his 2006 memoir In The Line Of Fire that regular soldiers had fought in Kargil.
General Musharraf's book said 357 troops were killed and over 660 injured but political parties have claimed that thousands of soldiers and insurgents died in the conflict.
The opposition PML-N put the death toll at 3,000 and nearly 200 Pakistani casualties were buried on the Indian side.
Keywords: Kargil war, Pakistan Army, ISI
Col Pathania you should know better that in 1999 it would not have been possible to settle Kashmir issue. Pakistan would have rattled the nuclear sabre and the whole international community would have fored a cease fire even before we could make any substantial gains and if you have served in J&K area you know better that in a "hot pusrsuit" there was every chance that IA would have got bogged down without achieving any strategic objective. IMO the issue should have been settled in 1947/48 itself alas for the impotence of the great Pandit.
Had not,during 1948 'Indo-Pak' conflict Nehru committed a blunder by holding Indian army during a chase of Kabailies, who were on the run with their feet on the head to Muzaffrabad (POK)and Vajpai who also repeated the same story by not allowing our brave advancing army in a wild chase of Pakistan regular troops during their misadventure in Darras,Matiayain and Batalik ridges in Kargil sector, the long pending Kashmir issue would have been resolved if not in 1948 then certainly in 1999 itself. Once again the nation lost a golden opportunity by sacrifying the great Kargil Heroes like Capt Battra and many more unforgetable martyers.
That is what called Pakistan -a shameful nation with shameful culture. I am feeling ashamed to be a Pakistani, who even doubts the integrity of its own soldiers and will not acknowledge the person who was born on Pakistani soil and laid their lives for Pakistan. However it's not the fault of the entire Pakistani Military; its the fault of some insurgents inside Pakistani military who are treating India as enemy.If India consider us enemy, there is no power in the world to stop it to invade Pakistan, because I have seen the anger inside Indians who are victims of our terrorist attack.And when anger with feeling strikes even no nuclear or conventional bombs can stop it.
Pakistan does not deserve the soldiers which laid down their lives.This shows how the country treats it's soldiers and it's citizens in such a callous way.The ruling class has no sense of morality and shame .That is Pakistan
Please Email the Editor