When Vajpayee Took A Peace Offering Bus Ride To Lahore; And Pakistan Responded With Kargil War

Feb 19, 2020, 6:54 PM IST

It was a short-lived thaw in stormy relations between India and Pakistan When former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee took a bus from Amritsar to Lahore on February 19, 1999 and hugged his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif leaving an endearing image that symbolised hope in bilateral ties. Atal Bihari Vajpayee had made a significant diplomatic breakthrough and the move was hailed as the dawn of a new era in Indo-Pak relations. Little did he know then that within just months of his historic initiative, India and Pakistan would be embroiled in the 1999 Kargil War.