Daily Times

Nawaz Sharif ought to be a happy man. For part of his heart’s desire has been granted. Former ISI chief Lt Gen (rtd) Asad Durrani has been summoned to GHQ for his part in co-authoring a controversial book with AS Dulat, a former head of RAW.

Ever since he found himself booted out of office, the former Prime Minister has linked his personal quest for justice to Pakistan’s long-term democratic health. Indeed, he believes his premiership move to put former military dictator Gen (rtd) Pervez Musharraf on trial for treason is the sole reason for his dethroning.

Be that as it may, the beckoning of Durrani to Army headquarters over his role in The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace and subsequent violation of military conduct represents a hollow victory at best for the PMLN camp. For no one and his cat should be fooled. It is beyond inconceivable that the military establishment — one of the world’s most efficient, no less — failed to keep tabs on one of its own.

After all, there are existing procedures to clear such material ahead of publication to ensure that only declassified information makes the final cut and that nothing flies in the face of the national interest. If this has been breached, moves should be made to have the book recalled and hold the publisher liable.

So, what is going on?

In short, this will likely be more of a cosmetic maneouvre than anything else. To pre-empt further criticism from lawmakers such as the PPP’s Raza Rabbani. The latter noted, not unreasonably, that had it been a civilian or politician who had undertaken an endeavour similar to the Durrani-Dulat one — he or she would have been denounced as a traitor. Especially considering the deterioration in the Indo-Pak bilateral relationship.

In this, the Senator is right. Moreover, it raises important questions as to who is in the driving seat on Kashmir. To be sure, it is not the non-uniformed. A point which was underscored just last week when Dulat appealed to the Indian government to roll out the red carpet for Pakistan’s Gen Bajwa and see what happens in terms of restarting stalled talks between the two sides. This was no casual remark but a recognition of who holds real power on this side of the border.

All of which debunks once and for all any remnants of the myth that the Army has been in the barracks these past five years. Sadly.  *

Published in Daily Times, May 27^th 2018.