Probe Kargil war say Ex Pakistani Air Force and Navy chiefs
Air Chief Marshal (Retd) Pervez Mehdi Qureshi and Admiral (Retd) Fasih Bukhari have demanded setting up of a commission to probe the Kargil conflict of 1999. They claim that they were “not on board” when the Kargil operation was planned. Qureshi said the “whole world knew that the Pakistan Air Force was not on board when the Kargil operation was being deliberated”.
Speaking to ‘The News’ Qureshi said “The whole nation is aware of what had happened in Kargil since the initiation of the action.
“Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee accused his counterpart in Pakistan Nawaz Sharif of stabbing him in the back. My statement will make no difference about the facts.” Qureshi said the government should order an inquiry into the Kargil episode and “everyone who was relevant would turn up with his version”. He said, “Nobody can say no to such a commission.” The events which transpired during the operation were preserved in the records of the Air Force. “In case I am not in this world tomorrow, the whole record will be available for ascertaining the facts,” he said. He added this was a serious matter and it must be taken with “utter seriousness” as it was linked to the future of the country.
The former naval chief, Admiral (Retd) Fasih Bukhari, said to a question that he would be prepared to appear before an inquiry commission that would be formed by the government of the day. Such a commission could unearth the whole truth about the matter, he said.
The former naval chief, Admiral (Retired) Fasih Bukhari, became the naval chief on May 2, 1997 and relinquished the command on October 2, 1999, ten days ahead of the coup by his colleague in the Army General Pervez Musharraf against the elected government of Nawaz Sharif.
Admiral Bukhari was the first who disclosed immediately after his retirement that Pakistan Navy was not taken into confidence about the Kargil operation at any stage and it did not make any preparations for any huge eventualities. Since then, he has kept quiet about it.
“I have been maintaining silence about the subject. If the commission constituted by the government calls me for evidence, I will put across my point of view before it with each and every detail concerning the episode,” he said. “I am a military-man and I will not share with the media my experiences in the force since I am under oath,” he added. “But I will not be reluctant to say anything before the commission if I am called.”
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