Atal Bihari Vajpayee then went to Lahore to sign the agreement by sitting in a busThe Lahore Agreement writes a new chapter of trust and friendship between the two countriesPakistan Army Chief Pervez Musharraf’s army was busy plotting something else
– That was a memorable and historic day, in February 1999, a bus service was started between India and Pakistan. This bus was called Samjhauta Express. The then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee reached Lahore by boarding the inaugural bus of this bus service. It seems that this is the beginning of a new era of peace and friendship between the two countries.
On 21 February 1999, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif signed an agreement, which was called the Lahore Agreement. If this agreement had been implemented, the relations between the two neighbouring countries would have been much better.
– Barely two and a half months after this agreement, the Kargil war broke out between the two countries. The Lahore Agreement automatically became a thing of the past
India had signed the Lahore Declaration with Pakistan in 1999 for mutual peace. But soon after this, General Pervez Musharraf not only broke the agreement but also betrayed it by starting the Kargil war. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister of India then, who had gone to Lahore to sign this agreement. Nawaz Sharif was the PM of Pakistan then, who has again been elected as the President of Pakistan’s ruling party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif admitted that Islamabad “violated” the peace agreement with India in 1999. For this, Nawaz Sharif blamed General Pervez Musharraf, who then removed Sharif from the post of PM after a military coup and himself became the head of the country.
When the then Prime Minister Vajpayee left for Lahore from Delhi by Samjhauta Express bus, he was given a warm welcome at the Wagah border. Along with Vajpayee, Indian celebrities like Dev Anand, Satish Gujral, Javed Akhtar, Kuldeep Nayyar, Kapil Dev, Shatrughan Sinha and Mallika Sarabhai were travelling in this bus.
After three days of talks, Nawaz Sharif and Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed the Lahore Declaration on February 21, 1999. It was a brilliant agreement that spoke of a vision of peace and stability between the two countries. However, it barely lasted two and a half months. During this time, there was large-scale Pakistani infiltration in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir. The matter became so serious that war was on the verge of breaking out from May.
Both the countries had conducted nuclear tests in the year 1998, which had increased the tension. To end this, in the last months of this year, the foreign ministries of both the countries started an initiative for the peace process. Under this, a bilateral agreement was signed on 23 September 1998. Both the governments signed an agreement to create an environment of peace and security and to resolve all kinds of disputes on the basis of bilateral talks, this became the basis of the Lahore Declaration.
What was the Lahore Declaration?
Now let us know what this Lahore Declaration was. It was a bilateral agreement and governance treaty between India and Pakistan. When Vajpayee and Sharin signed this agreement and put their seal on it, the parliament of both the countries ratified it in the same year, that is, the parliament of both the countries also gave it a green signal.
Under the terms of the treaty, a mutual understanding was reached towards avoiding the development of nuclear arsenal and the accidental and unauthorized use of nuclear weapons. The Lahore Declaration called upon the leadership of both countries to avoid confrontation along with ending the nuclear race. The treaty also aimed to reduce military tensions in South Asia. This agreement was important because it was creating a new atmosphere of mutual trust between the two countries.
This was the second nuclear control treaty signed by the two countries. The first treaty was signed in 1988. When this agreement was signed, it was felt that both the countries would now come together leaving behind the bitterness and tension of the past. A situation of brotherhood and friendship would now be created between the two countries. It was praised everywhere in the country and abroad.
– Both Governments reaffirmed their vision of peace, stability and mutual progress and their full commitment to the Shimla Agreement and the United Nations Charter.
– Both governments specifically pledged to avoid accidental and unauthorized use of nuclear weapons
– India and Pakistan decided to give each other advance notice of ballistic missile flight tests and accidental or unexploded uses of nuclear weapons to avoid nuclear conflict.
– Reaffirmed commitment to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and to the universally accepted principles of peaceful co-existence
– Committed to the objectives of universal nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
– Emphasis on increasing bilateral dialogue along with intensifying efforts to resolve Kashmir conflict and other disputes
– Both governments condemned terrorism
– Talked about non-interference in each other’s internal affairs and the objectives of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
– Expressed commitment to promoting human rights.
At the conclusion of the summit, the two foreign ministers talked about meeting regularly and discussing all issues, along with setting up a two-member ministerial committee to investigate civilian prisoners and missing prisoners of war.
The general public liked this deal very much.
The common citizens of both the countries welcomed it wholeheartedly. They liked this agreement very much. It was felt that both the countries will forget their past bitterness and will now create an atmosphere of friendship and brotherhood. It was welcomed politically as well.
On the other hand, Pakistan was busy plotting to stab us in the back
Who knew that on one hand this agreement was being made, on the other hand Pakistan’s army chief General Pervez Musharraf was busy plotting something else. He had quietly started infiltrating Kargil, which India found out about late.
Then the Kargil war ruined everything
Relations between the two countries again turned sour after the Kargil War broke out in May 1999. When it was suddenly discovered that Pakistani soldiers had intruded into Indian administered Kashmir. The Indian Army had to struggle to expel the Pakistani Army soldiers and recapture the disputed area.
The war lasted for about two months. Hundreds of soldiers from both sides lost their lives. Both countries came close to full-scale war and possible nuclear conflict. Since then, no initiative has been taken in this matter by both the countries. The atmosphere of distrust also increased a lot.
Why did Musharraf hatch this conspiracy
Nawaz Sharif appointed Pervez Musharraf as Army Chief in 1998 after sacking General Jahangir Karamat. Sharif may have thought that appointing a Mohajir would be a safer bet than giving this post to a Punjabi General. On the other hand, Musharraf wanted to prove that he is as much a Pakistani as any Punjabi, his loyalty cannot be doubted by calling him a Mohajir.
Due to this, Musharraf quietly planned an infiltration in Kargil, which perhaps even the Pakistan government was not aware of. Due to which a small fierce war took place between Pakistan and India. But this war proved to be very costly for Pakistan.
Another military coup in Pakistan
After this, Sharif tried to remove Musharraf but he could not do so. After which Musharraf carried out a military coup. He retained his position as the army chief and played the role of the chief executive of Pakistan. Later he assumed the post of President.
Tags: India, Pakistan, India Pakistan Relations, india pakistan war, Lahore news
FIRST PUBLISHED : May 29, 2024, 11:24 IST