Conflict

When Kashmir uprising happened we did not know how far it would go, says former ISI chief

Former chief of Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI Lt General Asad Durrani has said that his biggest failure was that ‘when Kashmir uprising happened they didn’t know how far it would go.’ He added that ISI’s leverage on Kashmir during the 90s turned out to be less successful.

“Biggest failure was when the Kashmir uprising happened we did not know how far it would go… When it became lasting, we wondered how to keep a handle on it. We didn’t want it to go out of control, which would lead to a war that neither side wanted. Could we micro-manage it? That was our challenge. ISI’s leverage on the Kashmir insurgency turned out less than successful,” said Durrani.

According to a report in the Indian Express, Durrani added, “I think the formation of the Hurriyat to provide a political direction to the resistance was a good idea. Giving up handle on the movement-letting the factions do what they bloody well wanted to-was not.”

Durrani made these comments ahead of launch of his new book “The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace”, which he has co-authored with A S Dulat, former RAW chief and journalist Aditya Sinha.

The book is set to be launched in Delhi this week, but Durrani will not be able to make it to the venue of book launch since he has not been given granted a visa so far by India, stated the report.

Durrani also pointed out that the Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s experience in Pakistan affected him in a manner that he believes that the country must be dealt with an iron fist.

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