Pak Army summons ex-ISI chief over co-authoring book with ex-RAW chief

The army in Pakistan, one of the most powerful institutions in that country, on Saturday, May 26, summoned former ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) chief lieutenant general (retired) Asad Durrani on Monday, May 28, to explain his co-authoring a controversial book with former RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) chief Amarjit Singh Dulat and journalist Aditya Sinha titled 'The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace'. The book was released on Wednesday, May 23.

"He will be asked to explain his position on views attributed to him in the book 'Spy Chronicles' Attribution (is being) taken as (a) violation of Military Code of Conduct applicable on all serving and retired military personnel," The Express Tribune cited an announcement made by DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor on Twitter.

Durrani made observations like former Pakistani prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani had complete knowledge about the US Navy Seals operation against al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad where he was gunned down in May 2011 and that a special deal was made between the US and Pakistani governments on this, IANS reported.

Durrani also said that Pakistan mishandled the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav and claimed he would eventually be handed over to the Indian authorities, the report added.

The Pakistani Army was seriously disappointed with some of the contents in the book, calling them baseless. "Attribution taken as violation of Military Code of Conduct applicable on all serving and retired military personnel," according to the statement issued last night," PTI cited an army statement as saying.

On Friday, May 25, former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif sought an urgent meeting of the National Security Committee to discuss the content of Durrani's book while former chairman of Pakistan's Senate Raza Rabbani slammed the book authored by rival spy agency chiefs, PTI reported.

Although the co-authoring of a book by former ISI and RAW chiefs is, according to the Pakistani establishment, a move that compromises national security, there has been instance in the past where a joint effort over a book by an Indian and Pakistan led to huge uproar.

In October 2015, former aide to BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani Sudheendra Kulkarni had his face smeared with black ink allegedly by Shiv Sena supporters in Mumbai when he was on his way to an event for the release of a book 'Neither a Hawk Nor a Dove: An Insider's Account of Pakistan's Foreign Relations' authored by former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri. The attackers allegedly warned him against going to the event and targeted him when he refused to oblige.