INDO-PACIFIC Controversy over Co-authored Book by Former Heads of ISI and RAW

OE Watch Commentary: Discussions of Source: Baqir Sajjad Syed. “Army to investigate former ISI chief over claims in book,” the various conflicts and issues between India Dawn, 29 May 2018. https://www.dawn.com/news/1410634 and from a regional perspective took The on Monday set up a ‘court of inquiry’ to investigate former director a new turn in late May with the publication of a book co-authored by retired General Asad general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) retired Lt Gen Asad Durrani’s collaboration Durrani, the former head of Pakistan’s Inter- with A.S. Dulat, former chief of Indian spy agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), in Services Intelligence (ISI), and A.S. Dulat, the what is being seen as a lightning-rod book project that has stirred heated controversy… former head of India’s Research and Analysis “A formal court of inquiry headed by a serving lieutenant general has been ordered to Wing (RAW). The accompanying excerpted probe the matter in detail. Competent authority has been approached to place the name sources from Pakistan and India discuss the book of Lieutenant General Asad Durrani (retd) on Exit Control List (ECL),” ISPR Director and some of the impact that it has had in both General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor tweeted…The book The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI, and the countries. Illusion of Peace was last week launched in India… The article from Dawn, a widely-read The two former spies have in the book touched upon some of thorny issues that have kept newspaper in Pakistan, reports on the Pakistani Pakistan-India ties strained for decades and at times pushed them to the brink of war. Army’s investigation into Durrani following These issues include terrorism, particularly the Mumbai attacks, Kashmir, spy wars and publication of the book and that he has been the influence of defence bureaucracies and spy agencies in the two countries. placed on an “Exit Control List,” preventing The military is taking it as a potential case of violation of ‘Military Code of Conduct’, him from traveling outside the country while which it says is applicable to all serving and retired military personnel. Section 55 of the investigation takes place. The article notes the Military Law, which relates to “conduct unbecoming of an officer” is considered to that Durrani may have violated “Section 55 of have a very wide scope…In the worst-case scenario, former military officers fear, court the Military Law, which relates to “conduct martial proceedings could be initiated against him…many believe that he did not spill unbecoming of an officer”,” and that this “is any classified secrets. Defence analysts, however, say he could be at fault for not getting considered to have a very wide scope.” The prior permission for the book and then not getting his part vetted and cleared by the army, article also mentions what many other sources in which is the usual procedure. Pakistan reported, that at the very least, Durrani “could be at fault for not getting prior permission Source: “Spy Chronicles: What Got Gen Durrani Into Trouble With the ISI,” The Quint, for the book,” not that he revealed any classified 5 June 2018. https://www.thequint.com/lifestyle/books/spy-chronicles-what-got-asad- information. durrani-into-trouble-with-isi The article from India’s The Quint, an English- …The book in question is an extensive dialogue between former RAW chief AS Dulat and language news website, mentions how the book Durrani, former chief of Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency Inter Services Intelligence was “mediated by journalist Aditya Sinha” and (ISI), mediated by journalist Aditya Sinha. Durrani headed ISI from August 1990 till examines one of the sections of the book that March 1992… likely contributed to Durrani’s legal issues. In the book’s discussion on the case of Kulbhushan The two discuss issues that have long haunted the two nations, but never found a place Jadhav, a Research and Analysis Wing agent on the political agenda. Here are few excerpts from the book that have got Durrani into who was arrested in Pakistan (allegedly in trouble. Balochistan) and charged with espionage, the Discussing the arrest of retired navy officer from the Pakistani article notes that Durrani “holds the Pakistani province of Balochistan on charges of espionage in March 2016, former RAW chief Dulat establishment responsible for the “faulty” says, “If this were a RAW operation, and he was a RAW spy, then it’s a pretty sloppy handling of Balochistan” and he was quoted operation.” saying “From the very beginning, Pakistan’s On the other hand, Gen Durrani said Pakistan’s arrest of Yadav for “being a spy” was handling of Balochistan has been faulty.” Both an attempt by the country to “counter the Indian threat after Pathankot.”…Durrani goes authors spoke fairly candidly about a number of to say that since India was looking for links between Pathankot attack and Pakistani issues throughout the book, but there has been establishment, this was Pakistan’s counter argument, “We know you’ve been doing this (in no mention of Dulat facing any consequences Balochistan).”… from the Indian government. It remains to be seen what, if any, disciplinary action is taken Asad Durrani also holds the Pakistani establishment responsible for the “ faulty” against Durrani, but the book marks a significant handling of Balochistan. “From the very beginning, Pakistan’s handling of Balochistan moment in Indian-Pakistani relations. End OE has been faulty. No one understood that it was complex better than the founder himself.”… Watch Commentary (Stein) “The military is taking it as a potential case of violation of ‘Military Code of Conduct’, which it says is applicable to all serving and retired military personnel. Section 55 of the Military Law, which relates to ‘conduct unbecoming of an officer’ is considered to have a very wide scope.” OE Watch | July 2018 31