Former ISI chief Asad Durrani's name placed on ECL

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior has placed the name of former chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General (retd) Asad Durrani in the Exit Control List (ECL).

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been informed about the decision, the sources at interior ministry said.

A high level meeting at the interior ministry decided to place the name of General Asad Durrani in the no exit list.

The Pakistan army on Monday ordered a probe against former ISI chief Lt. Gen. (retd) Asad Durrani over his disclosures in a book co-authored by an erstwhile Research & Intelligence Wing (RAW) chief, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The military has also approached the competent authority to place his name on the Exit Control List (ECL), said the army’s media wing.

ISPR DG Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor tweeted: “Lt Gen Asad Durrani, Retired, was called at GHQ today to explain his position on recently launched book ‘Spy Chronicles’. A formal Court of Inquiry headed by a serving Lt Gen has been ordered to probe the matter in detail. Competent authority approached to place his name on ECL.”

Lt Gen Asad Durrani, Retired was called at GHQ today to explain his position on recently launched book ‘Spy Chronicles’. A formal Court of Inquiry headed by a serving Lt Gen has been ordered to probe the matter in detail. Competent authority approached to place his name on ECL.

— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) May 28, 2018

Asad Durrani, who served as the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief from August 1990 till March 1992, co-authored the book titled ‘The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace’ with former Indian spy chief AS Dulat.

The book was released jointly by India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Vice president Hamid Ansari, former Union minister Yashwant Sinha and a few others in the event organised in New Delhi on May 24.

The book has been styled as a conversation between two spymasters and covers a wide range of subjects including India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s way of functioning, the Kashmir issue and several other issues between India and Pakistan.