CH. Nisar Ali Khan, who held several key Cabinet portfolios during Nawaz Sharif’s regime, has revealed that the former prime minister was not aware of the Kargil incursion, and that the military had kept him totally in the dark about it. He said when Nawaz learnt about the Kargil operation he went to the US to save his army face humiliation at the hands of the Indian army. ‘‘The PM could not reverse or stop it even if he wished to do so because it would have had serious fallout both for the army and the government,’’ he added. Nisar said he opposed Nawaz’s visit to the US saying, ‘‘Mian sahib let those people face the music who had planned all these things without taking politicians into confidence.’’ But, Nawaz replied: ‘‘No Nisar I could not see my army face humiliation at the hands of India’’. Nisar, a known Nawaz loyalist, said: ‘‘Kargil was badly conceived, badly planned and badly executed’’. He said this during an interview with The News on Thursday. Besides Nawaz, Nisar also served in the governments of General Ziaul Haq and Mohammad Khan Junejo, and played an important part in country’s politics. He said: ‘‘if Nawaz had been aware of the Kargil adventure, he was not so foolish to invite the Indian Prime Minister to Lahore’’. Asserting that Musharraf and Nawaz enjoyed good relations, Nisar rejected the reports saying Nawaz was going to dismiss four top army generals — Gen Mahmood Ahmed, Gen Aziz, Corps Commander Northern Areas Gen Javed Hassan and Gen Tauqir Zia for keeping the government in the dark about Kargil. “This was an excuse to sack an elected government.’’ Nisar said an impression was created in the mind of Musharraf that he would be next target. ‘‘This actually created panic in the ranks of military Generals responsible for the debacle. They resolved to react if Musharraf was removed.’’
