On the 26th anniversary of his death, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and other top military officials paid tribute to Captain Karnal Sher Khan, hailing him as a “symbol of unwavering courage and patriotism” during the 1999 Kargil war.
However, Indian records recall that Pakistan had refused to accept his body after it was found on Indian soil.
In a statement shared on social media platform X, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) wrote, “Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and the Armed Forces of Pakistan solemnly commemorate and pay heartfelt tribute to Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed, Nishan-e-Haider, on the occasion of his 26th martyrdom anniversary…”
The post continued, calling him “a symbol of unwavering courage and patriotism”, and stated, “Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed’s supreme sacrifice reflects the spirit of selflessness and devotion to duty that defines Pakistan Armed Forces… We salute our hero and reaffirm our resolve to defend the homeland against all threats.”
However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had earlier stated that Pakistan refused to accept Captain Sher Khan’s body, along with that of another officer, Capt. Imtiaz Malik, despite clear evidence of their identities. Both were killed in action on Indian territory during the Kargil conflict.
According to a 1999 press release by the Indian Embassy in Washington, “The Pakistan authorities have adamantly refused to acknowledge the involvement of Pakistan Army regulars in the misadventure in Kargil. The callousness and inhumanity with which they are persisting in this fiction is demonstrated in the current matter concerning the bodies of two officers of the Pakistan Army who had died in action on the Indian side of the Line of Control in Kargil. The body of Capt. Imtiaz Malik of 165 Mortar Regiment was found at Point 4875 in the Mushkoh sub-sector. The body of Capt. Karnal Sher of 12 Northern Light Infantry was found on Tiger Hill in the Dras sub-sector. The identities of these two officers were established by correspondence found on their person. Both bodies are in possession of the Indian Army authorities.”
“The above information was conveyed to the Pakistan government on July12. We informed the Pakistani authorities that we would like to hand over the bodies to them. We did not receive any response,” the statement read.
“It is clear that Pakistan is fully aware of the identities of these bodies but they do not wish to acknowledge this fact as it would immediately expose their army’s involvement in Kargil… They are doing great disservice to the families of their soldiers and to the traditions of armed forces everywhere,” it added.