ISLAMABAD – Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) former chief General (R) AsadDurrani in the newly released book “The Spy Chronicles” said that the costof prosecuting Jamaat-ud-Dawahlink> (JuD) head HafizSaeed link> is ‘toogreat’.

“If you prosecute Saeed, the first reaction will be: it’s on India’sbehalf, you are hounding him, he is innocent, etc. The political cost isbig,” he wrote in the book that he co-authored with the Indian spy agencyResearch and Analysis Wing (RAW) ex-chief General (R) A S Dulat.

“He was taken to the courts though they had nothing (new) against him. Itis still possible that he was detained to let the storm blow over. In sixmonths, he could come out,” said Durrani about Saeed’s detention.

However, he went on to draw comparison of Saeed with Indian PrimeMinister’s involvement in attack on Babri Masjid in 1992 in Gujarat andBritain’s former prime minister Tony Blair’s involvement in the Iraq war of2004.

“Is it not that what happens most of the times? Modiji in Gujarat- theinquiry report does not absolve him. But the court lets him go, so no onewants to talk about it. A bigger example is Tony Blair. The Chilcot[report] blames him, yet he still has not been hauled up, with legalopinion split on charging him.

The 9/11 report has 28 pages missing because of sensitive information, orbecause of the possible complicity; some persons have been released as theyhad business connections or links to Bush family. It helps the US avoidunpleasant action,” he said in the book.

On Friday, the Pakistan Army had expressed reservations on Durrani’s book.The retired general was asked to appear before it on Monday (today) toexplain his position for violating the military’s code of conduct. Themilitary says many facts stated in the book contradict the reality.