On Wednesday, Pakistan created a sensation by saying that Asad Durrani, former head of Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, is an Indian. Pakistan’s Defense Ministry has said that former ISI chief Lt Gen (retd) Asad Durrani has been in contact with India’s intelligence agency RAW since 2008. Actually, Durrani filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court to get his name removed from the ‘no fly list’. In response to this petition, the Government of Pakistan has said these things before the court.
Asad Durrani was the head of ISI from August 1990 to March 1993. He also served as the Director General of Military Intelligence of Pakistan in the year 1998. Former ISI chief Durrani has been openly critical of the Pakistani army. Durrani had said in a recent statement that the biggest threat to Pakistan is not India but its internal challenges. Accepting the truth of the military’s interference in Pakistan’s politics, he said that it is very dangerous for the country.
Durrani also said that the biggest problem of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is that his image is as a person who has not come to power on his own and who has the burden of khaki (army) on his shoulders. In fact, opposition parties of Pakistan have been saying that the army is the hand behind bringing Imran Khan to power. Many leaders also call Imran Khan as ‘Army’s cherished’ in Tanj.
However, Durrani has been in the eye of the Pakistani Army ever since he co-authored a book titled ‘The Spy Chronicles: Raw, ISI and the Illusion of Peace’ in 2018, in association with AS Daulat, the former head of Indian intelligence agency RAW. After the introduction of this book, the government of Pakistan put Durrani’s name in the ‘Exit Control List’ and the army had taken away his pension, allowances and other facilities.
Durrani, former ISI chief, had filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court to have his name removed from the exit control list. In response to this petition, Pakistan’s Defense Ministry told the court on Wednesday that because of Durrani’s involvement in anti-national activities, his name has been inserted in the ‘No Fly List’. Pakistan’s Ministry of Defense said that Durrani’s book contained material related to Pakistan’s national security, which also violated the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923. This may boost the efforts of enemies who put a question mark on the top leadership of Pakistan and make assumptions about it.
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The ministry further said that Durrani is in touch with enemies, especially since 2008, he is in touch with Indian intelligence agency RAW. Defending the decision to include Durrani’s name in the exit control list, Pakistan’s Defense Ministry said that this does not violate Durrani’s fundamental rights. The ministry said that keeping in mind the public interest and security and integrity of Pakistan, certain restrictions have been imposed on Durrani’s freedom of speech and speech.
The Defense Ministry said that investigations are going on against Durrani so his name cannot be removed from the no-fly list. The ministry argued that Durrani wanted to travel abroad to attend conferences and forums which could have serious consequences for national security. It was also said on behalf of the government that Durrani’s new book ‘Honor among Spice’ is also proof of this which has been published through Indian publishers and pro-RAW elements.
When ‘The Spy Chronicles’ was published in the year 2018, Pakistan’s intelligence agency asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to put Durrani’s name in the exit control list. Durrani challenged this decision in the High Court of Islamabad in 2019. The next hearing on Durrani’s petition is to be held in the second week of February.
In 2019, the Pakistan Army said that Durrani has been found guilty of violating the Army’s code of conduct. An army court later denied Durrani pension and other facilities. Durrani challenged this order in the Lahore High Court, after which his pension was resumed at the end of the year 2020. (Photo credit-ihc.gov)
