ISLAMABAD: A probe could have been avoided against Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Asad Durrani if he had sought permission from the armed forces by detailing the content written in his latest book which upset the military, a Pakistan Army spokesperson said.
“Had he taken an NOC (No Objection Certificate) for the book, all of this would not have happened,” said Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor in a press briefing in Rawalpindi.
Ex-ISPR officer (Retd.) Col. Baseer Haider told Arab News: “If the book’s content involves the army, the person is supposed to get permission or NOC, show the draft before publishing, remove any observations” of the army.
It is unclear if this procedure is a rule or if it also applies to army veterans turned political and defense analysts who have commended and criticized army officials in the media over the handling of past incidents and events. Durrani’s book has also taken a jab at individuals rather than the military establishment.
The Pakistan Army immediately ordered “a formal court of inquiry” against Durrani last month over claims in his 255-page co-authored book “The Spy Chronicles: RAW ISI and the Illusion of Peace.” Durrani appeared before a military review panel and was subsequently barred from traveling overseas pending an army decision pinned to its probe.
The book makes a string of startling claims on subjects ranging from the Kashmir dispute and India-Pakistan relations to intelligence agencies and Pakistan’s foreign policy. The three-star retired general, who served as chief of Pakistan’s prime intelligence agency, the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), commented mainly on events that occurred after his tenure.
Durrani has maintained his silence, refusing to clarify how he was able to obtain classified information. He has on two counts told Arab News he is “not willing to talk on this subject with anyone.”
The book is written in a casual dialogue format between Durrani and former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Amarjit Singh Dulat, and moderated by Indian journalist Aditya Sinha.
The army made it clear that Durrani will be held accountable. “We are all human, we make mistakes. But when you make mistakes, you suffer the consequences. The Pakistan Army has never forgiven any mistake, whether made by a soldier or a general. What will happen to Durrani will be in front of you,” emphasized Ghafoor, who pointed to the former general’s tainted retirement and a court case stemming from the 1990s against Durrani and ex-Army chief Mirza Aslam Beg for manipulating and meddling with politics while in command.
However, Durrani is not the first retired military officer to pen a revealing book. Former President and ex-army chief Gen. Pervez Musharraf authored “In the Line of Fire” and revealed that during his rule Pakistan rounded up hundreds of alleged terrorists, extraditing them to the US, which earned unspecified bounties totaling millions of dollars.
Musharraf apparently had no NOC and his revelations compromised the army and the country’s image globally, causing the wrath of human rights organizations that slammed the military. The report titled “Human Rights Ignored in the War on Terror,” accused Pakistan of human rights violations for monetary and other gains from the US and its allies.
Col. Baseer deflected and separated responsibility of Musharraf’s action from the army and approval for his book. “He was the (army) chief and president also, therefore he didn’t need permission from anyone. He had to do everything and give permissions” which likely gave Durrani and those who have written before him the impression that approvals are not necessary.
However, Durrani faces a serious military case judging by the actions and tone adopted by the army. If the court shows that the former spymaster’s claims compromised national security, he could face charges of treason.
“The possibility of Durrani being court-martialed is very high,” said Khalid Mohammed, director general of the Islamabad-based think-tank Command Eleven, which works closely with the armed forces.
“If convicted, he would be the first retired officer to be held accountable over violations of military law,” Mohammed told Arab News.