Terming PM Modi‘s statements in Drass on Kargil Vijay Diwas just “rhetorical statements”, Pakistan said the remarks cannot deflect international attention from India’s efforts to suppress the Kashmiri people.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the “rhetorical statements by the Indian leaders cannot deflect international attention from India’s heavy-handed approach to suppress the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for realisation of their fundamental rights and freedoms.”
“Bravado and jingoism undermine regional peace, and are totally counter-productive for resolution of long-standing disputes between Pakistan and India, especially the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir,” the foreign office said in a statement.
On the occassion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, PM Modi said that Pakistan had not learned any lessons from its past and was trying to stay relevant through ‘terrorism and proxy war.’
Amid a surge in attacks in Jammu region, PM Modi issued a stern warning to Pakistan saying India would defeat every terror challenge
“Today, I am speaking from a place where masters of terror can hear my voice directly. I want to tell patrons of terrorism that their nefarious designs will never succeed. Our bravehearts will crush terrorism and enemy will be given a befitting response,” he asserted.
“In Kargil, we not only won the war, we gave a wonderful example of truth, restraint and strength,” he added. Notably, PM’s remarks come in the backdrop of surge in terror incidents in Jammu region.
Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed annually on on July 26, 1999, commemorates India’s victory over Pakistan and honors the sacrifices of hundreds of Indian soldiers who faced more than just the Pakistani infiltrators to secure victory in Kargil.
The Kargil War
The conflict, which escalated into the Kargil War, began when Pakistani intruders crossed the Line of Control and occupied strategic high positions in Ladakh’s Kargil district. Initially reported to the Indian Army on May 3, the infiltrators were thought to be jihadis.
However, over the following weeks, the scale of the invasion disclosed the clear and direct involvement of the Pakistani state. Operation Vijay in response In strong retaliation to the infiltrators, between mid-May and July, the Indian forces gradually recaptured critical positions from the Pakistani infiltrators, despite facing heavy casualties.
The Kargil War officially concluded on July 26, 1999, when the Indian Army announced the complete eviction of Pakistani forces from Indian soil. According to official figures, Indian casualties at the end of the war included 527 dead, 1,363 wounded, and 1 prisoner of war, Flight Lieutenant K Nachiketa, whose MiG-27 was shot down during a strike operation.
Over two months, intense battles took place in the challenging mountainous terrain. The Indian Army, as part of Operation Vijay, managed to drive out Pakistani intruders and successfully recaptured Tiger Hill and other strategic positions.
(With agency inputs)