Nawaz Sharif acknowledges Pakistan’s breach of peace agreement with India in 1999 | Global News

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif made a startling admission on Tuesday, acknowledging that Pakistan had “violated” an agreement with India in 1999, in reference to the Kargil war. Sharif, who was elected president of the ruling party PML-N six years after being disqualified by the Supreme Court, revealed this during a meeting of the general council.

Sharif recounted the events of May 28, 1998, when Pakistan conducted five nuclear tests followed by an agreement with then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He admitted, “We violated that agreement…it was our fault,” as reported by news agency PTI. The agreement in question was the “Lahore Declaration” aimed at fostering peace and stability between the two nations. However, tensions escalated when Pakistani troops infiltrated the Kargil district in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the Kargil War.

During the meeting, Sharif also highlighted his decision to carry out nuclear tests despite pressure from the United States, revealing that he turned down a $5 billion offer from President Bill Clinton to halt the tests. He took a swipe at current Prime Minister Imran Khan, suggesting that Khan would have accepted the offer.

Furthermore, Sharif accused former ISI chief Gen Zahirul Islam of orchestrating his government’s downfall in 2017 to pave the way for Imran Khan’s rise to power. He urged Khan not to blame him for being influenced by the military establishment and questioned Khan’s allegiance to the army.

Sharif also alleged that the former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Saqib Nisar, unjustly removed him from office in 2017 based on false charges. The revelations made by Sharif have sparked controversy and raised questions about the political landscape in Pakistan.