Summons to ex-ISI chief over Dullat book

Islamabad, May 26

Pakistan’s powerful army has summoned former ISI chief Asad Durrani on May 28 to seek clarification over a book he co-authored with India’s ex-spy chief AS Dulat, accusing him of “violating” the military code of conduct.

Lt Gen Durrani (retd), who headed the Inter-Services Intelligence from August 1990 till March 1992, along with Dulat has written “The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace”.

The Pakistan army in a statement said that Durrani, 77, was being called to General Headquarters (GHQ) on May 28 and “will be asked to explain his position on views attributed to him in the book”.

Durrani was summoned after ousted PM Nawaz Sharif demanded an urgent meeting of the high-powered National Security Committee (NSC) to discuss the contents of the book. Durrani made certain observations in the book, including a claim that then PM Yousaf Raza Gillani was fully on board regarding the Abbottabad US Navy Seals operation against Osama bin Laden and that a special deal had been struck between the US and Pakistani governments over it.

He also went on to suggest that Pakistan mishandled the case of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on spying charges. — PTI