The 1999 Kargil Conflict The Kargil conflict of 1999 bears some parallels to the 1962 experience in Indian attitudes to the use of air power, though the prohibition this time on the use of offensive air power was not as absolute. The Plan Pakistan’s Kargil operations were apparently planned sometime in November 1998. In an article titled “Analysis of the Kargil Conflict 1999” in the April 2002 issue of the RUSI Journal, Brig Shaukat Qadir (retd.), states that the plan was formulated by Lt Gen Mahmud Ahmed, then commanding 10 Corps, and Maj Gen Javed Hassan, then GOC, Frontier Constabulary of the Northern Areas (FCNA). It was forwarded to the COAS, Gen Pervez Musharraf by the CGS, Lt Gen Muhammed Aziz37. The idea was to exploit the large gaps that existed in the Kargil sector to cut the Leh-Srinagar highway and thereby prevent re-supply in the Ladakh area. The plan also dictated the capture of certain key heights in the Batalik and Turtok areas in order to cut off the Siachen glacier and force India out of Siachen.38 The plan was approved and preparations commenced. The plan was actually far more wide ranging.39 The conventional force ratio of 2.25:1 was in India’s favour. To counter the intrusion in Kargil, India was expected to rush troops into Jammu and Kashmir, thus depleting its forces elsewhere. Mujahideen would step up their activities in the depleted rear areas, cutting lines of communication at selected points, to form isolated pockets. When Indian troops were rushed in, the forces in Kargil could push forward. This would result in forcing India to the negotiating table. Pakistan would be able to hold on to its gains and strengthen its bargaining position. Conventional war was ruled out because India would not have the strength of forces needed to carry out an offensive, due to the need to stem the gaps in J&K. If war did occur, it would end in stalemate, thus stabilising the situation in Pakistan’s favour. In any case, India was not expected to start a nuclear war. In Kargil 1999—Pakistan’s Fourth War for Kashmir, Air Cmde (retd) Jasjit Singh quotes Altaf Gauhar, once President Ayub Khan’s information adviser, as saying that the plan dated back to 1987 and formed part of General Ziaul-Haq’s ‘Op Topac’ 40. It had then been shelved following strong objections raised by Foreign Minister Sahebzada Yakub Khan, who had cast doubts on the Army’s ability to sustain operations. Revived in 1996, exercises based on the plan were held in 1997 by 10 Corps, then commanded by Maj. Gen. PervezThe 1962 India-China War and Kargil 1999 345 Musharraf. Gen. Jehangir Karamat’s objections possibly contributed to his removal from the post of COAS.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 13:23:56 +0000
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