Islamabad: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has publicly admitted that Pakistan violated the Lahore Declaration, an agreement signed with India during the tenure of then-Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Sharif’s admission, made during a meeting of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) general council, points to General Pervez Musharraf’s actions leading to the Kargil War.
Sharif recounted, “On May 28, 1998, Pakistan carried out five nuclear tests. After that, Vajpayee Saheb came here and made an agreement with us. But we violated that agreement…it was our fault.” This statement refers to the Lahore Declaration, signed on February 21, 1999, which aimed to foster peace and security, and promote people-to-people contact between the two nations. However, the Kargil conflict soon followed, triggered by Pakistani forces’ infiltration into the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Musharraf’s secret infiltration plans, initiated in March 1999, led to a full-scale war upon their discovery by India. The conflict, known as the Kargil War, resulted in a decisive victory for India.
Sharif’s speech also touched upon historical diplomatic moments and internal politics. He revealed that former US President Bill Clinton had offered Pakistan $5 billion to halt its nuclear tests in 1998. Sharif claimed, “Had (former prime minister) Imran Khan-like person been in my seat he would have accepted Clinton’s offer.”
Sharif also addressed his political downfall, asserting that his removal from office in 2017 was based on a false case by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar. He contrasted this with the allegations against Imran Khan, which he claimed were true. Furthermore, Sharif accused the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of aiding Imran Khan’s rise to power. He specifically mentioned General Islam, claiming the general had pressured him to resign in 2014, threatening to make an example out of him when he refused.
As Sharif’s statements stir political and historical reflections, they underscore the complexities of Pakistan’s internal and external affairs, particularly in its relations with India and its own military-political dynamics.
