Spies like us


While this month marked eventful, to say the least, in the global diplomatic ambit, the local spark was ignited by a rather cathartic and largely flamboyant Spy Chronicles: Raw,ISI and the Illusion of Peace, a book brimming with revelations, authored by erstwhile ISI and RAW chiefs General Asad Durrani and A S Dulat, respectively. The piece has a lot to offer; the dramatised effect begins with the title of the book where spy chronicles may refer to the prolific history or sarcastically to engineered instances and orchestrated plots. The ‘illusion of peace’ puts all stirring of thoughts to rest and confirms the worst fears of the general public, perhaps an attempt to debunk the way national sentiments have been exploited. While the book has not been launched in Pakistan (as of yet), the Indian launch turned out to be a full-blown event with Gen Durrani making his presence via a video message which ends quite interestingly: he ‘thanks’ the Indian deep state for denying him the visa and thereby preventing the wrath of ‘hawks’ in Pakistan.

To some, Gen Durrani is a dauntless individual, callous to the ramifications and keen on unravelling the concealed but things may not be as vivid. While Dulat is a renowned liberal, as reflected by his explicit criticism of the right-wing Ajit Doval, national security adviser to Prime Minister Narenda Modi, Durrani carries a more complicated persona. His propensities were revealed to me back in 2015 when he was confronted by Mehdi Hasan from Al Jazeera on the notable ‘Head-to-Head’ show. Durrani had the laid-back façade, which solidified his tendency not to waver when Pakistan was pulled through the rough waters; to all the attacks made by Mehdi, he simply conceded without feeling the need to defend Pakistan at an international forum with the customary diplomatic acuity. Such reflections are further accentuated in his book where he describes Pakistan’s debacle on the Kashmir issue of ‘letting the Hurriyet loose’. Although such claims dehumanise the crisis at hand and affirm Pakistan’s allegedly indifferent and unmindful policies, it attempts to unveil the fiasco Pakistan needs to get rid of. It is important to note that these ‘revelations’ are not a threat to the national security of either of the two countries but a rather vehement blow to the sentimental public who uphold their national institutions and find great pleasure in comparing them.

This attempt was shut out by the geniality in the book which, at one point, states ‘‘RAW is at least as good as we are.’’ Contrary to the common belief, the book does not spill any major beans, at least not any that would harm the sensitivity that national security entails. This is because its launch could not have been possible without the approval of the ‘deep state’ abroad and quoting Gen Durrani, the ‘hawks’ at home.

The book takes an important twist when the two spearheads reveal that the 2003 attack on former President Gen Pervez Musharraf was tipped off by RAW to ISI for which Musharraf was grateful. To swing it further, Dulat acclaims Musharraf for being the most reasonable Pakistani leader to date. It is also riveting to hear Gen Durrani comparing the acumen of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif with that of PM Narendra Modi by belittling that of Sharif when it comes to foreign policy and upholding that of Modi. As anticipated, Gen Durrani does not forget to recount Pakistan’s diplomatic policy failures in the past seven decades and A S Dulat follows this precedent.

The move has garnered a multitude of responses from both sides of the border but the conventional declaration retains popularity: that national security ‘secrets’ should not be sold to the general public. Amidst the popular voice, there exists a faction of distraught and anguished individuals who delve into their patriotism to justify the elite policies. This is the voice of the masses that is adamant on both sides of the border and it refuses to acknowledge the bitter truths that are, all of a sudden, thrust upon it, ultimately silencing it. Is the Spy Chronicles and such moves a drive towards a change in the longstanding thought process of the masses? After all, they feel betrayed with their fears now certified since it was the state institutions which claimed to represent the laity and miserably failed leaving the masses to pay for their policies. What needs to change is the driving force that manufactures policy, an incentive that is more substantial than short-term boons and deceptive purposes that have scarred Pakistan since its inception. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2018.

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    Original news : https://tribune.com.pk/story/1718270/6-spies-like-us/