IHC's Justice Kayani recuses himself from ex-ISI chief Asad Durrani's case

• Islamabad High Court Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani recuses himself from further hearing in the Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani's case
• Defense ministry included Durrani's name in the ECL after he co-authored 'The Spy Chronicles' with former chief of India’s RAW
• Justice Kayani says in his remarks he knows "the whole background of the case" but he had "some reasons I don't want to state out loud"

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on Friday recused himself from further hearing in the Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani's case wherein the former spymaster petitioned for his name to be removed from the Exit Control List (ECL).

The defense ministry had included the name of Mohammad Asad Durrani in the ECL after he co-authored The Spy Chronicles with former chief of India’s spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), AS Dulat.

The hearing at the Islamabad court earlier today was in response to a petition submitted by the former director-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the removal of his name from the no-fly list.

Read more: Evidence shows ex-ISI chief Asad Durrani remained in contact with RAW, says defence ministry

"I know the whole background of the case and I was at the stage of penning down my the decision [on the case]," the judge remarked.

Justice Kayani explained that although it was "a pity" for him to step down from hearing the case, "there are some reasons I don't want to state out loud".

He further remarked that he was sending it to IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, who will decide on a new bench to hear the case.

Also read: DG ISPR says Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani guilty of violating military code of conduct

Earlier, the defense ministry through its response had opposed the removal of Lt Gen (r) Durrani's name from the ECL, telling the court it had evidence suggesting that the former spymaster remained in contact with India's RAW.

The defence ministry also said it had evidence indicating Durrani remained in contact with anti-state elements from other countries since 2008.

Durrani had been summoned to Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in May 2018, where he was asked to explain his position on views attributed to him in the book, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had confirmed in a statement last year.

Durrani has been found guilty of violating the military code of conduct after he co-authored the book, the ISPR had said in 2019, adding that "his pension and other benefits have been stopped”.