In a significant admission after 25 years, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif acknowledged on Tuesday that Islamabad had violated an agreement with India leading to the Kargil War of 1999.
Speaking at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s general council after being elected as the party’s president, Sharif admitted that Pakistan had violated the agreement signed by him and former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999.
Reflecting on the historical backdrop of Pakistan’s nuclear tests in 1998 and subsequent diplomatic engagements, he said that the 1999 Lahore Agreement aimed at fostering peace and stability between the two nations.
However, he regretfully admitted that Pakistan failed to uphold its commitments under this agreement.
“On May 28, 1998, Pakistan conducted five nuclear tests. After that Vajpayee saheb came here and signed an agreement with us. But we violated that agreement. It was our mistake,” a national news agency quoted Sharif as saying.
However, tensions escalated a few months after the signing of the agreement with the outbreak of the Kargil War, sparked by Pakistani infiltration attempts in Kargil, Jammu & Kashmir.
During his address on May 28, Sharif also disclosed that then US President Bill Clinton had offered Pakistan $5 Billion to halt nuclear tests, an offer he refused.
He contrasted his decision with a hypothetical scenario involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan, suggesting that Khan might have accepted Clinton’s offer.
Additionally, Sharif lauded his brother, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, for his unwavering support.
“Efforts were made to create differences between us but Shehbaz remained loyal to me. Even Shehbaz was asked to become PM in the past and leave me, but he declined,” the news agency quotes Sharif.
With his new position as PML-N President, Sharif pledged to rejuvenate efforts to fortify the party’s standing, indicating his commitment to bolstering its organisational structure and influence.
