Debunking former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's claim that he was kept in the dark on the Kargil operations by army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf, Pakistani Premier Shujjat Hussain has said that Sharif had not only given the go ahead for the incursions but also wanted to wrest Srinagar.
Hussain, who is scheduled to hand over the reins of the government to prime minister-designate and Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz on August 18, said he was part of a meeting where Sharif was briefed about the Kargil situation.
"I was present there. It was Nawaz Sharif's desire to reach Srinagar. People should keep one face. Sharif has kept a dual face," Hussain, who was interior minister in the Sharif government, told Aaj Tak.
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Hussain said it was 'highly unlikely' that the Kargil conflict would have led to a nuclear conflagration between India and Pakistan.
About the number of Pakistani soldiers who died in the Kargil conflict, he declined to give details, saying the number is not important.
On converting the Line of Control into the international border, Hussain said, "Both the parties should decide mutually during official-level talks, with good intentions."
He complimented the Manmohan Singh government for continuing with efforts initiated by the previous National Democratic Alliance regime to improve Indo-Pak ties.