Musharraf asked me to talk to Clinton to end Kargil war:Sharif

Islamabad, Feb 21 (PTI) Suggesting that Kargil war had
been a debacle for Pakistan, former Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif Saturday said the then Army Chief Gen Pervez Musharraf
had virtually pleaded with him to talk to President Bill
Clinton to "somehow" ensure an end to the conflict.

Sharif maintained that the war of 1999 had been initiated
by Musharraf by attacking India without his knowledge but he
(Sharif) had taken "responsibility for everything to save
military's reputation and dignity".

"Musharraf attacked Kargil and I had no information about
this military operation," the PML(N) president told a meeting
of party's general council at Raiwind in Lahore.

"I came to know of it when I got a phone call from (then
Prime Minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayee 'saheb'. He asked me --
'what have you done after I returned from your country with
good feelings... Your army has attacked our army'," he said.

Sharif said he then called up Musharraf and the latter
confirmed what Vajpayee had said.

Vajpayee had undertaken a bus ride to Lahore on February
19, 1999. The Kargil conflict began three months later.

Apparently hinting that the Pakistani military action had
proved to be a disaster, Sharif said, "You all know what were
the consequences of that war. Musharraf asked me to contact
Clinton and somehow ensure an end to the war."

Sharif said he immediately got in touch with Clinton,
whom he described as a "friend". Sharif told Clinton he wanted
to meet him the very next day, and the US president agreed to
receive him in Washington.

During the course of a three-hour meeting, Clinton
called Vajpayee even though it was past midnight in New Delhi,
Sharif said. Clinton suggested to Vajpayee that Pakistan was
ready to call a ceasefire in Kargil if India agreed to resolve
the Kashmir issue.

Sharif said Vajpayee then asked Clinton if he was
trying to "reward" Pakistan for the Kargil episode by setting
the condition for resolving the Kashmir issue. Vajpayee also
pointed out that he had told Sharif during his visit to
Pakistan that he wanted to resolve the Kashmir issue in 1999
but this was before the attack in Kargil.

During his stay in Washington, Sharif also called
Musharraf and questioned him about media reports that Pakistan
troops had lost control of several heights in Kargil.
Musharraf admitted these reports were correct.

Following this, Sharif again consulted Clinton and
signed an agreement to end the Kargil conflict. When he
returned to Pakistan, Musharraf said the outcome of the steps
taken by Sharif was good.

Sharif criticised Musharraf for repeatedly claiming
over the years that he had been aware of the army's plans to
attack Kargil.

In this regard, the former premier referred to a
tapped phone conversation between Musharraf and his chief of
staff Lt Gen Mohammad Aziz which proved beyond doubt that the
Pakistan Army was involved in the Kargil incursions.

He said Musharraf launched a coup against him when he
sacked him from the post of army chief. Sharif alleged that
the Musharraf regime had tried its best to get him hanged him
but thankfully, the judge defied intense pressure and
sentenced him to 70 years imprisonment instead.

Sharif also insisted that he had not tried any
hijacking of the plane in which Musharraf was flying from
Colombo to Karachi on October 12, 1999 as has been alleged by
the then Army Chief.

"In fact, I had given orders that Musharraf should be
escorted with respect at the airport and be told that he has
been retired and that a new Chief is taking over," he said.

"What was the need for me to hijack the plane when I,
as Prime Minister, had issued orders and these were being
implemented," he asked. PTI RHL
SAK
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