INTRODUCTION
Before the Partition of India in 1947, Kargil was part of Gilgit-Baltistan, a
region of many diverse linguistic, ethnic and religious groups, due in part to
the many isolated valleys separated by some of the world's highest mountains.
The First Kashmir War (1947-48) resulted in most of the Kargil region remaining
an Indian territory; then, Notably, Kargil is the only district in the Ladakh
subdivision that has a Muslim majority. The town and district of Kargil is in
what is now called Jammu and Kashmir. The town lies on the Line of Control
(LOC), the defacto border for the two nations, located 120 km (75 miles) from
Srinagar, facing the Northern Areas. Like other areas in the Himalayas, it has a
temperate climate. Summers are cool with frigid nights, while winters are long
and chilly with temperatures often dropping to -40 °C (-40 °F). A national
highway connecting Srinagar to Leh cuts through Kargil.
KARGIL CONFLICT
The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict,Was an armed conflict between
India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil
district of Kashmir. The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani
soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the Line of
Control, which serves as the de facto border between the two nations. Directly
after the war, Pakistan blamed the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri
insurgents; however, documents left behind by casualties and later statements by
Pakistan's Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff showed involvement of
Pakistani paramilitary forces. The Indian Army, supported by the Indian Air
Force, attacked the Pakistani positions and, with international diplomatic
support, eventually forced a Pakistani withdrawal across the Line of
Control (LoC)
The war is one of the most recent examples of high altitude warfare in
mountainous terrain, and posed significant logistical problems for the combating
sides. This was the first ground war between the two countries after they had
developed nuclear weapons. (India and Pakistan both test-detonated fission
devices in May 1998, though the first Indian nuclear test was conducted in
1974.) The conflict led to heightened tensions between the two nations and
increased defence spending on the part of India. In Pakistan, the aftermath
caused instability to the government and the economy, and on October 12, 1999 a
coup d'etat by the military placed army chief Pervez Musharraf in power.
IMPLICATIONS OF KARGIL WAR
•India has been engaged previously in wars with Pakistan and Kargil was no
different. Thus, the socio-political implications were not too different from
those resulting during previous Indo-Pak conflicts. It has affected Pakistan
more than India.
•Kargil caused a major political change in Pakistan, which is that Musharraf
became the unopposed arbiter of administrative reforms as well as national
security.
•That war aims are different from everyday political aims in that they are not
definitive or publicly announced. Also, they change depending on how the war
advances.
•The Kargil conflict contributed to the rise of right-wing politics that has
intensified in both the countries. Extreme right-wing forces are particularly
involved with non-parliamentary parties that are gaining ground and criticize
the established governing parties .The right-wing forces also have a large
mobilizing capacity. The rise of right-wing parties suggests an increasing
embattlement of the regular parties but also of the liberals in all segments of
Pakistani society. The Kargil war prefaced a rise in communal and sectarian
violence and attacks on minorities in both countries. Also, a change in the
attitude of both societies towards the United States took place in the wake of
the conflict. In Pakistan there was growing anti-U.S. sentiment, whereas in
India, an ambivalent attitude gave way to a more positive one.
• The Kargil conflict led to a shake-up in the Indian intelligence apparatus. In
India this shake-up resulted in the formation of new institutions such as Chief
of Defense Staff (CDS), but the Pakistani military apparatus more or less
remained the same. In India there was consensus among the political elite on
various defense refurbishment issues, but not so in Pakistan.
•In the wake of Kargil, India has instituted various changes in its higher
defense management, operational deployments in Kashmir, and nuclear command and
control structure. The concept of limited war has now become a buzzword of
Indian strategic thinking. Basrur argued that Indian sincerity in the peaceful
resolution of Kashmir with Pakistan is evident from its cease-fire offer to
militants, and also its initiation of dialogue with the Musharraf regime at Agra
•The United States also came to believe that it could play a central role in
mediating Indian-Pakistani conflict, as observed during Kargil (e.g., the
Clinton-Sharif meeting in Washington). In this vein, the United States now leans
towards the LoC as a potential long-term resolution
Impact of Kargil war on Pakistan Domestic Politics and Security
The Pakistan state's involvement with militant religious groups. The conflict
also brought to the surface the dissention among the highest echelons of
Pakistan's political and strategic decision-makers the Kargil conflict affected
Pakistan's politics and society in many ways
1.it deepened the already brewing distrust between the military and the
political establishment;
2.it produced tensions between the military and religious groups;
3.it raised questions about the responsibility and reliability of the Pakistani
state among the community of nations;
4.it damaged the professional reputation of the Pakistani army, allowed the
international media to portray it as a rogue organization;
5.The public in the dark about the government's involvement in the Kargil
conflict.