ISLAMABAD – Former ISI Chief General Asad Durrani while talking about theAbbottabad operation by American Navy Seals killing Osama Bin Laden, theformer spy chief urged General (retd) Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and General(retd) Ahmed Shuja Pasha to make public if there was any deal about the OBLoperation.
“I don’t think there is any reason for him, or for Pasha who was headingthe ISI at that time, for keeping quiet. Get the secret out because we’vebeen getting the worst of both worlds. We are blamed for incompetence, forplaying a double game; and what did we get in return? That is what I wantto know”.
He believed there was a retired Pakistani officer who told the Americansabout the whereabouts of OBL. “There was a retired Pakistani officer inintelligence walked in and told the Americans. I won’t take his namebecause I can’t prove it and also I don’t want to give him any publicity.How much of the 50 million dollars he got, who knows. But he is missingfrom Pakistan”.
To a question about Indian consulates in Afghanistan, General (retd)Durrani says, “If Indian consulates are used, we’ll be happy.
There are four consulates and an embassy but we need not inflate theirnumber. In Pakistan some people, who are ill-informed and sometimes silly,will talk of nine consulates, 18; the maximum number I’ve heard is 23. Ifthe Indians were to conduct espionage from four consulates, then we shouldbe happy because then we can keep track. Anyway, espionage is usually notdone from there.
A couple of Indian construction companies could employ a couple of Jadhavs.That is difficult to track. Essentially, we exaggerate Indian influencelike we exaggerated the number of consulates. What worried me most aboutthe Jadhav case was the Iranian factor.
It has led to speculation in Pakistan, that when Mullah Akhtar Mansoor wasreturning from some meetings in Iran, Iranian intelligence put a chip inhis vehicle that helped the Americans to track him down. Even if this wastrue I would not talk about it. It’s creating problems between Iran andPakistan. But regarding Balochistan: espionage happens, people areinvolved.
Second, I’ve always felt we are overplaying India’s involvement. TheAmericans are more involved. There are others who have more reason to getinvolved”.