The Threat of Nuclear War: Kargil War Part III

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff, General Pervez Musharraf, were either present at or near the targeted base. The pilot's original objective was to strike Point 4388 in Kargil. Unfortunately, due to an error with the Cockpit Laser Designation System (CLDS), the Pakistani military base in Gulteri became the unintended target. Since the CLDS was installed on a trainer Jaguar aircraft without any weaponry, a second Jaguar aircraft was required to carry out the bombing. Unbeknownst to the Indian pilot, Sharif was at the Gulteri base, addressing troops and advocating for dialogue with India to ease tensions along the LoC. Musharraf, accompanying Sharif, was making his first visit to a forward area. Notably, senior Pakistani Army personnel, including retired Lieutenant General Iftikhar Ali, Defence Secretary, and Humayun Akhtar, Chairman of the Board of Investment, were also present at the base, oblivious to the fact that an IAF jet had targeted their location.

According to reports, the Indian Government, led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had strictly prohibited the IAF from crossing the LoC. Retired Air Marshal A.K. Singh, holding a senior position in the Western Air Command, was airborne during the operation. The pilot of the first aircraft contacted Singh, informing him that the target appeared to be a substantial military camp, a confirmation from the CLDS. Realising the gravity of the situation, Singh instructed the pilot not to launch an attack.

Singh clarified that his presence in the air at that particular time was purely coincidental, as pilots are typically authorised to proceed with an attack once a target has been acquired and confirmed. Overseeing the IAF's operations in Kargil, Air Marshal Vinod Patney promptly ordered the second aircraft's pilot not to engage when doubt about the target arose. Neither Singh nor Patney was aware of Sharif and Musharraf's presence at the base, and the matter was not discussed in official meetings.

Had the engagement happened, one can pretty much assume that the Kargil War would have most definitely turned into a nuclear battle.