ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI's former chief Lt Gen (retd.) Asad Durrani has been banned from leaving the country and will face a court of inquiry over a controversial book he recently co-authored with India's former intelligence head. Gen Durrani, who headed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from August 1990 till March 1992, along with former RAW chief AS Daulat has recently published the book titled 'The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace' in India.
He was summoned to the ISI headquarters to explain his position on the book. "A formal court of inquiry headed by a serving Lieutenant General has been ordered to probe the matter in detail," the statement said. It also said that "competent authority has been approached to place the name of Gen Durrani on Exit Control List (ECL).
Gen Durrani has expressed dismay at his "own people" after facing severe backlash over his recent book that landed him in controversy. He was also targeted by some retired senior army officers on different TV talk shows. Gen Durrani was apparently summoned after ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif demanded an urgent meeting of National Security Committee (NSC) to discuss the issue raised in the book. Former chairman Senate Raza Rabbani and prominent leader of Pakistan Peoples Party criticised the joint book by rival spy chiefs and said if it was written by a civilian, he would have been branded as traitor. In the book, the two former spy chiefs have touched upon some thorny issues including terrorism, particularly Mumbai attack, Kashmir and the influence of intelligence agencies.
Durrani admits Pak involvement in Kashmir
In an interview, Gen Durrani admitted the active participation of Pakistan in the current unrest in Kashmir. When asked about Pakistan’s involvement in the current turmoil in Kashmir, he said, “One indeed could not be 'playing fiddle' while Kashmir burns and bleeds.” Durrani assumed the office of ISI’s directorate at a very interesting time for Pakistan. The Soviets were withdrawing from Afghanistan and simultaneously, not coincidentally, foreign militants had begun infiltrating and training local Kashmiris to fight India.
In the book, Gen Durrani made certain observations, including a claim that then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani was aware of the US Navy Seals operation against Osama Bin Ladin in Abbottabad and that a special deal was struck between the US and Pakistani governments in this regard. Post the book release, Gen Durrani was asked to clarify his position in the context of the military code of conduct that bars any serving or retired military official from making remarks that compromise the country's national security. Gen Durrani defended himself saying the literary collaboration was simply a case of two people with experience in Indo-Pak affairs joining hands to discuss their respective perspectives.
