Political crisis in country: India wants to see Pakistan in turmoil, says Asad Durrani

ISLAMABAD: Former ISI chief Lt Gen (retd) Asad Durrani has said India wants to see Pakistan stuck in turmoil.

Talking to an Indian daily, the former spymaster, when asked how should India be looking at Pakistan right now (the political crisis in the country), Durrani said that as it has always done – praying that Pakistan remained an entity in turmoil. That was the scarlet thread of the Indian-Pakistan Policy that evolved decades ago in the South Block (Indian Ministry of External Affairs), he added.

When asked if the assassination attempt on PTI Chairman Imran Khan deepened the fault lines in Pakistan, Durrani responded, “the fault lines have existed for a long time, and I am not sure if they have now deepened.”

He said an early election is indeed Imran Khan’s demand, but those at the helm prefer to wait till they’re due in October next year, adding they argue that they have taken some tough measures to stabilise the economy which has worked in IK’s favour; though it was during the government of the deposed prime minister that inflicted serious damage to the economy. Durrani said that the present government believes that in the next few months they would be able to produce some positive results.

He was asked why Imran Khan, once the establishment’s protege, went on to become the challenger. The former ISI chief recalled that all military proteges — ZA Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, the earlier two — did go on to become its challengers. When the military refused to come to Imran Khan’s help earlier in the year to avert a defeat in the Parliament, he took the same way. This time around, however, judging the people’s mood – that they have had enough of these “games of throne” – Imran has cashed upon their anti-establishment and anti-American sentiments.

To another question, the former general said that the Pakistan Army may have had a larger-than-life political role, but it hardly ever was in effective control – except when it directly ruled. And I do not know why Imran has named an ISI general for a life attempt on him.

When asked about the possibility of a rapprochement between Imran and the Establishment, Durrani said “I believe he’s keeping some back channels open with the Establishment, but have no idea if these would help break the stalemate!” When asked as to what went wrong between PTI leader and COAS Gen Bajwa, Durrani said “I too was taken by surprise, but then it’s quite possible that after Imran lost power and took a confrontationist path, the rancour between him and the establishment went up the spiral!”

Responding to a query about the difficulty in maintaining the delicately poised civil-military balance with the new COAS in office after General Bajwa’s retirement, the former chief of the ISI said the “balance” was in favour of the military most of the time. After the army’s decision to take a back seat, it would not be ‘too difficult for new COAS to confine the service to its constitutional role.

When asked how should India be looking at Pakistan right now, Lt Gen(retd) Asad Durrani said that as it has always done – praying that Pakistan remained an entity in turmoil. That was the scarlet thread of the Indian-Pakistan Policy that evolved decades ago in the South Block (Indian Ministry of External Affairs).