Ex-ISI chief on 'no-fly list'; faces inquiry into revelations made in his book

Pakistan's powerful Army on Monday ordered a Court of Inquiry into the revelations made by former ISI chief Lt Gen (retd.) Asad Durrani and approached the government to place his name on the Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent him from leaving the country.

Durrani, who headed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from August 1990 till March 1992, along with Indian former RAW chief A S Daulat has recently published a book titled 'The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace' in India.

He was summoned to the General Headquarters (GHQ) today to explain his position on the book 'Spy Chronicles', said a statement issued today by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the Pakistan military's media wing.

"A formal Court of Inquiry headed by a serving Lieutenant General has been ordered to probe the matter in detail," the statement said.

It also said that "competent authority has been approached to place the name of Lt Gen (retd) Durrani on Exit Control List (ECL).

Durrani has expressed dismay at his "own people" after facing severe backlash over his recent book that landed him in controversy. He was also targeted by some retired senior army officers on different TV talk shows.

Lt Gen retired Abdul Qayyum and Maj Gen retired Ijaz Awan questioned the motive behind releasing the book on internet.

Durrani was apparently summoned after ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif demanded an urgent meeting of the high-powered National Security Committee (NSC) to discuss a recent book co-authored by a former spy chiefs of Pakistan and India.

Also, former chairman Senate Raza Rabbani and prominent leader of Pakistan Peoples Party criticised the joint book by rival spy chiefs and said if it was written by a civilian, he would have been branded as traitor.