Durrani placed on ECL

Pakistan Army Monday took the unpre-cedented step of preventing a former spy chief from leaving the country, after he ignited a storm by co-authoring a book that touches on Pakistan's alleged roles in Afghanistan and Kashmir.
Lieutenant-General Asad Durrani (retd), who headed Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) from 1990 to 1992, was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) stopping him from leaving the country, according to the military spokesman. Durrani has been mired in controversy since last week's release of "The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace". He wrote the book with A.S. Dulat, who headed India's Research and Analysis Wing intelligence agency - arch-rivals of the ISI.
It is based on a series of discussion between the two on various subjects including tense relations with India and Pakistan's alleged interference through proxies in Afghanistan and Kashmir.
Earlier Monday Durrani was summoned to the military headquarters for allegedly violating the institution's code of conduct over comments he made in the book. The military did not specify which comments had prompted the meeting.
It then announced a court of inquiry into Durrani's alleged misconduct and said he had been placed on the ECL, marking the first instance such controls have been placed on a former spy chief.
The controversy comes weeks after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif sparked a similar firestorm at home and in India by suggesting Pakistani militants were behind the 2008 attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai.-AFP
BR Staff Reporter adds: The army began grilling Lieutenant-General Durrani (retd) over "breach of military code of conduct" with maximum punishment being a Field General Court Martial (FGCM), informed sources in the military to told Business Recorder.
The retired General was at GHQ for over four hours on Monday.
A formal Court of Inquiry headed by a serving lieutenant general has been set up to investigate charges against Lieutenant-General Asad Durrani (retd).
A tweet by the military's spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor, stated: "Lieutenant-General Asad Durrani (retd), was called at GHQ today to explain his position on recently launched book 'Spy Chronicles'. A formal Court of Inquiry headed by a serving Lieutenant-General has been ordered to probe the matter in detail. Competent authority approached to place his name on ECL."
On May 25, DG ISPR Major-General Asif Ghafoor tweeted that the former DG ISI would be asked to explain his position on views attributed to him in the book. Durrani's views were taken as a violation of the military code of conduct applicable on all serving and retired military personnel.
Military sources had contended that GHQ had serious reservations over some of the comments in the book, terming them 'baseless' and 'contrary to facts'. He was subsequently asked to clarify his position in the context of the military code of conduct that bars any serving or retired military official from making remarks that compromise the country's national security. "No one is above the law," said a military source.