Nawaz demands 'emergency NSC meeting' over Asad Durrani's book

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday demanded that an emergency meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) be summoned over the book written by former ISI chief Lieutenant General (retd) Asad Durrani.

Lieutenant General (retd) Asad Durrani served as the chief of Pakistan's premier intelligence agency the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate from August 1990 till March 1992.

Durrani co-authored a book with former Indian spy chief AS Dulat, titled The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace. 

Speaking to journalists after his hearing, Nawaz said that Durrani’s book should be discussed at an NSC meeting.

On May 14, the NSC had called a meeting over Nawaz’s statement on the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

NSC terms Nawaz's statement on Mumbai attacks 'incorrect and misleading'

The meeting was held at PM House and included country's senior military and civilian leadership

In an interview to Dawn newspaper recently Nawaz had said, “Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can’t we complete the trial?”

His remarks were played up by the Indian media as an admission of Pakistan's involvement in the terrorist attacks, even though similar questions and statements have been raised from civilian and security officials in Pakistan earlier.

Following the backlash on international and local media, army spokesperson Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor had said on Twitter that the army had "suggested" that the NSC meeting be called to clarify the country's stance on the statement.

Politician would've been termed 'traitor' for teaming up with Indian counterpart to pen book: Rabbani

Former Senate chairman says shocking that Pakistan and India relations are at an all-time low and former spy chiefs are teaming up to write a book

Therefore, on Friday, Nawaz apparently criticised the committee, saying a trustworthy national commission should be constituted to look over such matters.

The book titled Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace is the first-ever effort by two former chiefs of rival spy agencies to jointly write a book.