Pakistan army orders inquiry on ex-spy chief over book

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's former spy chief was summoned at the army headquarters in garrison city Rawalpindi on Monday over a whistleblower book which he co-authored with his former Indian counterpart.

"The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace" which hit the stands last week is a rare collaboration between the former spy chiefs of the two arch nuclear rivals.

Retired general Asad Durrani was asked to explain his position on his remarks contradicting Pakistan’s official policy on certain issues, mainly on Kashmir and the 1999 Kargil skirmish between the two countries.

"A formal court of inquiry headed by a serving lieutenant general has been ordered to probe the matter in detail," said a statement from Pakistan army’s media wing, Public Relations (ISPR).

The statement did not elaborate on the explanation given by Durrani in his defense.

However, security analysts believed that constitution of a high-level inquiry means the army’s top brass was not satisfied with the former spy chief’s explanation.

The army has also approached a “competent authority” -- a reference to the Interior Ministry, to place Durrani on the exit control list (ECL), a move that will ban him from leaving the country.

Durrani served as the chief of Intelligence (ISI) from 1991 to 1993. His co-author A.S. Dulat served the chief of the Research and Analysis Wing from 1999 to 2000.

In a statement on Friday, the army termed the attributions "violation of code of conduct applicable all serving and retired military personnel".