Lahore Declaration - Aftermath

Aftermath

The Lahore Declaration was hailed warmly in both India and Pakistan and in the global media and by governments of other nations, forging optimism after the global tensions over the 1998 nuclear tests. The initiative bolstered the popularity of the Vajpayee government in India, cementing his standing as a statesman. However, it was speculated in the media that many in Pakistani military and intelligence agencies did not approve of the agreement and consequently worked to subvert it and escalate tensions between the two nations. The reception for Vajpayee, described as the leader of an "enemy nation," was boycotted by the military chiefs led by Gen. Pervez Musharaff, and terrorist attacks claiming the lives of civilians continued even as the summit was about to take place.

The relations between the two nations were completely transformed at the outbreak of the Kargil War in May 1999, following the sudden revelation that Pakistani soldiers had infiltrated into Indian-administered Kashmir; the Indian Army was deployed to evict the insurgents and retake capture the disputed territory. The two-month-long conflict claimed the lives of hundreds of soldiers on both sides and brought both nations close to full-scale war and possible nuclear conflict. The conflict was followed by a military coup that overthrew the Nawaz Sharif regime and bringing the army chief Gen. Pervez Musharraf, believed to be responsible for the Kargil incursion, to power, thus exacerbating doubts over the future of the relations between the two nations.