Pak bars ex-ISI chief from leaving country

Islamabad: Pakistan's interior ministry on Tuesday banned the ISI's former chief Lt Gen. Asad Durrani from leaving the country, a day after the army ordered a Court of Inquiry over the book he recently co-authored with India's former intelligence head.

Durrani, who headed the ISI from August 1990 to March 1992, along with former RAW chief A.S. Dulat, has recently published The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace in India.

A notification issued by the ministry indicated that the name of Asad Durrani was added to the Exit Control List (ECL) on the "recommendation of Military Intelligence Directorate Rawalpindi due to his involvement in an ongoing inquiry".

The decision was taken a day after the army asked the government that Durrani should be put on the ECL.

Durrani was on Monday summoned to the General Headquarters (GHQ) to explain his position on the Spy Chronicles.

Apparently he failed to satisfy the military as it was announced that a "formal Court of Inquiry headed by a serving Lieutenant General has been ordered to probe the matter in detail." PTI