ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani has rescued himself from further hearing in former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general Asad Durrani’s case, wherein the latter sought removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
Justice Kayani remarked that he had all the information regarding the case’s background and was also close to penning the verdict. “This is unfortunate but there are some reasons which I don’t want to share publically,” he added.
He said that he was sending the case back to the IHC chief justice Athar Minallah so he could take a decision about forming a new bench to hear the matter.
The defense ministry had included Durrani in the ECL after he co-authored a book, titled The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace, with Amarjit Singh Dulat, the former head of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in 2018.
The former spymaster challenged the move in the IHC in 2019. In his petition, Gen Durrani claimed the inquiry had been concluded and he had also been punished accordingly; however, his name was still on the ECL.
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 further said the former ISI chief’s name was placed on the ECL for his involvement in anti-state activities. It said a perusal of the book The Spy Chronicles revealed that it contained “certain contents concerning the national security of Pakistan.”
