- Ex-ISI chief says he has not been misquoted in the controversial book
ISLAMABAD: Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt General (r) Asad Durrani has owned all the comments made in the much-controversial book co-written with Indian spy chief AJ Dulat, The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI And The Illusion Of Peace.
In an exclusive conversation with Pakistan Today, the retired general said he has not been misquoted anywhere in the book, whether it were his remarks on the US operation against Osama Bin Laden or the Kargil operation.
“No, I have not been misquoted anywhere in the book. Because of its ‘conversational style’, some readers may have had problem understanding the context,” Durrani clarified.
“People who think I have been misquoted have not read the book while some other resorted to twisting my words,” said Lt Gen (r) Durrani, who has been in the eye of the storm of late, and has been avoiding media interactions ever since the army took notice of his book and initiated proceedings against him.
Regarding the ongoing probe against him for violating the army’s code of conduct, the general refused to comment.
On Kargil war, the general said that many other works – much better researched – can contribute better to the straightening of records when it comes to Kargil and Pakistan’s relations with India.
When asked to comment on assertions from some commentators that his book was not a conspiracy but a mere foolishness, General Durrani said, “I [will] never comment on what others have to say. I decided to take part in it because I thought that it would be worth it.”
On the army being the most powerful institution in Pakistan, Durrani said that “power is measured within a [specific] context. If we talk about physical strength, the military is the most powerful; judiciary has more power when it comes to their domain; government has power to legislate and decide on other executive matters; and media because of its ingress and omnipresence.”
“But in the end, no one is more powerful than the masses who can decide to take back power,” he said.
When asked whether his book could win a best sellers award for its huge popularity, Gen Durrani said he has no clue how these awards work. “I don’t know about any such awards, but I am told that the book is selling in many countries,” he said.
The interview was a joint collaboration between Mian Abrar and Nadia Aleemuddin
