This was the first time that a Pakistan Army chief addressed his troops. Indian TerritoryOn 28 March 1999, during the preparation for the Kargil war, the late General Pervez MusharrafThe team flew for 2-3 km LoC Lama helicopters were dispatched to land in a 500-metre long snow bowl which served as the administrative and logistics base for the 12th Northern Light Infantry.NLI) Intrusion at Mashkoh Line of Control.
An elated Musharraf spent the night at the forward infiltration base, congratulated the troops for avenging the 1984 Siachen operation, carried out aerial reconnaissance of Pakistani intrusions in the sector and distributed 8,000 Pakistani rupees to the troops. Last month, the former Pakistan prime minister had criticised the Kargil intrusion. nawaz sharifWho admitted that he had betrayed the country. Lahore Agreement An agreement was signed in February 1999 with the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
It is notable that Musharraf kept himself away from the proceedings of the 1999 Lahore Agreement because the Pakistani army had already started infiltration. Musharraf’s attack across the LoC took the Kargil infiltration to the pinnacle of audacity.
The details of this attack have been recorded in a diary kept by a Pakistani Captain posted at the infiltration base. The Kargil Review Committee report as well as the former Army Chief have confirmed this. General V.P. MalikThe book (Kargil: From Surprise to Victory) records the facts of Musharraf’s personal intrusion across the Line of Control.
Malik wrote, “According to the diary of Captain Hussain Ahmed of 12 NLI, his reconnaissance and firm base patrol team had entered the Kargil sector in February 1999. Musharraf visited the officer’s patrol base on 28 March 1999, five weeks after signing the Lahore Declaration, and gave him Rs 8,000 for sweets to be distributed among 12 NLI personnel.”
The exact location of the base visited by Musharraf was identified by Mohali-based Colonel APS Cheema (retired), who commanded 12 Mahar during the battle against 12 NLI in May-July 1999. According to Cheema, the base was 2-3 kilometres across the LoC and had half a dozen fibre-glass igloos. “The base was located south-east of Gultari Nullah and it supplied enemy infiltration up to Tiger Hill.
Point 4388 is located to the south-east of this base and Points 5368 and 5070 to its east. My battalion recovered Ahmed’s diary from this base. I read the diary and apart from recording Musharraf’s visit, it also recorded details of Women’s Day, deaths of NLI soldiers in an avalanche and telephone numbers of the Captain’s relatives in Pakistan.
“The diary revealed that the captain was to be posted at the Pakistan Command and Staff College, Quetta,” Cheema told the Times of India. Musharraf himself admitted to his infiltration across the LoC on an Indian TV channel when he said: “When Kargil was happening, I crossed the border, I landed in Hindustan, I stepped into the mountains of Hindustan and stood there.”
This audacious attack was commented on by former COAS General VK Singh, who told the media: “I appreciate Musharraf for coming and staying with his troops for a night. It is courage of a military commander to come this far knowing that there was a threat. What was happening on our side, you all know and the facts are before you. Why did we let them go? Why did we allow them to enter? All I will say is that there were some mistakes which need to be corrected.”
A detailed account of Musharraf’s operation is recorded in the book ‘Witness to Blunder’ written by Musharraf’s then ISPR colleague Colonel Ashfaq Hussain (retired). Before the infiltration was detected in May 1999, a team of senior Pakistani officers had crossed the LoC in helicopters to inspect the infiltration and talk to forward officers.
These included the ‘group of four generals’ led by Musharraf, who planned and executed the top-secret operation, code-named Op Koh-e-Paima (Climber of the Mountains). Hussain’s book states: “The Zakaria Base (Point 125) was established by Major.
Led by Zakaria Yusuf Raja, the operation covered a distance of 3.5 km across the LoC….On 13 March 1999, Commander, FCNA, Major General Javed Hassan visited 12 NLI at Point 125…On 26 March Hassan made a second visit accompanied by Commanders of 80 and 323 Brigades, Division Artillery Commander and GSO-1 Ops FCNA.
On 28 March, Musharraf (flew to the base from Gultari) accompanied by Commander 10 Corps, Lt Gen Mahmud Ahmed, Chief of General Staff (at GHQ) Lt Gen Aziz Khan, Hassan, Private Secretary to the COAS, and GSO-1 FCNA… They landed at Point 125 at 10.40 a.m. and were received by the 12 NLI CO, Lt Col Amjad Shabbir, 2IC and the Adjutant.” “Addressing the (12 NLI) troops there, Musharraf said, ‘We will inflict a blow on the enemy that he will never forget.’
He congratulated the troops… promised that the battalion would be awarded battle honours and Nishan (Pakistani flag) soon after the operation… They were very excited and decided to stay the night there. The next day was Eid-ul-Azha and it was celebrated by the COAS and other senior officers with the 12 NLI troops across the LoC,” Hussain wrote.
VVIP importance Zakaria Base This was revealed when the 12 Mahars captured it in July 1999 and recovered Ahmed’s diary and a vast quantity of war material, although much of it had been taken back by the retreating Pakistani troops.
“This base had tents/igloos, which were destroyed in the fighting. My troops recovered five howitzer (artillery) bases, 800 120/81 mm mortar bombs, 396 hand grenades, 60 RPG rounds, 32 rockets, 1,909 anti-personnel mines, 14,346 G3 rifle rounds, 42,339 machine gun rounds, one flamethrower, five rocket-missile launchers, 10 gas masks, 10 12-feet steel girders for construction and 75 punctured barrels of aviation turbine fuel (ATF),” Cheema told the Times of India.
An elated Musharraf spent the night at the forward infiltration base, congratulated the troops for avenging the 1984 Siachen operation, carried out aerial reconnaissance of Pakistani intrusions in the sector and distributed 8,000 Pakistani rupees to the troops. Last month, the former Pakistan prime minister had criticised the Kargil intrusion. nawaz sharifWho admitted that he had betrayed the country. Lahore Agreement An agreement was signed in February 1999 with the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
It is notable that Musharraf kept himself away from the proceedings of the 1999 Lahore Agreement because the Pakistani army had already started infiltration. Musharraf’s attack across the LoC took the Kargil infiltration to the pinnacle of audacity.
The details of this attack have been recorded in a diary kept by a Pakistani Captain posted at the infiltration base. The Kargil Review Committee report as well as the former Army Chief have confirmed this. General V.P. MalikThe book (Kargil: From Surprise to Victory) records the facts of Musharraf’s personal intrusion across the Line of Control.
Malik wrote, “According to the diary of Captain Hussain Ahmed of 12 NLI, his reconnaissance and firm base patrol team had entered the Kargil sector in February 1999. Musharraf visited the officer’s patrol base on 28 March 1999, five weeks after signing the Lahore Declaration, and gave him Rs 8,000 for sweets to be distributed among 12 NLI personnel.”
The exact location of the base visited by Musharraf was identified by Mohali-based Colonel APS Cheema (retired), who commanded 12 Mahar during the battle against 12 NLI in May-July 1999. According to Cheema, the base was 2-3 kilometres across the LoC and had half a dozen fibre-glass igloos. “The base was located south-east of Gultari Nullah and it supplied enemy infiltration up to Tiger Hill.
Point 4388 is located to the south-east of this base and Points 5368 and 5070 to its east. My battalion recovered Ahmed’s diary from this base. I read the diary and apart from recording Musharraf’s visit, it also recorded details of Women’s Day, deaths of NLI soldiers in an avalanche and telephone numbers of the Captain’s relatives in Pakistan.
“The diary revealed that the captain was to be posted at the Pakistan Command and Staff College, Quetta,” Cheema told the Times of India. Musharraf himself admitted to his infiltration across the LoC on an Indian TV channel when he said: “When Kargil was happening, I crossed the border, I landed in Hindustan, I stepped into the mountains of Hindustan and stood there.”
This audacious attack was commented on by former COAS General VK Singh, who told the media: “I appreciate Musharraf for coming and staying with his troops for a night. It is courage of a military commander to come this far knowing that there was a threat. What was happening on our side, you all know and the facts are before you. Why did we let them go? Why did we allow them to enter? All I will say is that there were some mistakes which need to be corrected.”
A detailed account of Musharraf’s operation is recorded in the book ‘Witness to Blunder’ written by Musharraf’s then ISPR colleague Colonel Ashfaq Hussain (retired). Before the infiltration was detected in May 1999, a team of senior Pakistani officers had crossed the LoC in helicopters to inspect the infiltration and talk to forward officers.
These included the ‘group of four generals’ led by Musharraf, who planned and executed the top-secret operation, code-named Op Koh-e-Paima (Climber of the Mountains). Hussain’s book states: “The Zakaria Base (Point 125) was established by Major.
Led by Zakaria Yusuf Raja, the operation covered a distance of 3.5 km across the LoC….On 13 March 1999, Commander, FCNA, Major General Javed Hassan visited 12 NLI at Point 125…On 26 March Hassan made a second visit accompanied by Commanders of 80 and 323 Brigades, Division Artillery Commander and GSO-1 Ops FCNA.
On 28 March, Musharraf (flew to the base from Gultari) accompanied by Commander 10 Corps, Lt Gen Mahmud Ahmed, Chief of General Staff (at GHQ) Lt Gen Aziz Khan, Hassan, Private Secretary to the COAS, and GSO-1 FCNA… They landed at Point 125 at 10.40 a.m. and were received by the 12 NLI CO, Lt Col Amjad Shabbir, 2IC and the Adjutant.” “Addressing the (12 NLI) troops there, Musharraf said, ‘We will inflict a blow on the enemy that he will never forget.’
He congratulated the troops… promised that the battalion would be awarded battle honours and Nishan (Pakistani flag) soon after the operation… They were very excited and decided to stay the night there. The next day was Eid-ul-Azha and it was celebrated by the COAS and other senior officers with the 12 NLI troops across the LoC,” Hussain wrote.
VVIP importance Zakaria Base This was revealed when the 12 Mahars captured it in July 1999 and recovered Ahmed’s diary and a vast quantity of war material, although much of it had been taken back by the retreating Pakistani troops.
“This base had tents/igloos, which were destroyed in the fighting. My troops recovered five howitzer (artillery) bases, 800 120/81 mm mortar bombs, 396 hand grenades, 60 RPG rounds, 32 rockets, 1,909 anti-personnel mines, 14,346 G3 rifle rounds, 42,339 machine gun rounds, one flamethrower, five rocket-missile launchers, 10 gas masks, 10 12-feet steel girders for construction and 75 punctured barrels of aviation turbine fuel (ATF),” Cheema told the Times of India.
