PM Imran ‘our best bet after Musharraf’ for bilateral ties: Indian ex-spy master

Talks are the only way forward for both nuclear-armed nations, says AS Dulat

In a rare development, India's former spy master has said that Prime Minister Imran Khan deserves a chance and time to prove his intentions with regards to Pakistan-India relations.

“[PM] Imran is our best bet after [former military ruler] general Pervez Musharraf,” said AS Dulat, the ex-Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief, while speaking at a session on wisdom of spies during the Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh on Saturday, Hindustan Times reported.

“… We need to give him time and a chance to prove his intentions,” he added.



Lieutenant General Kamal Davar (retd), the first Director General of the Indian Defence Intelligence Agency, who was also in attendance at the session, agreed with Dulat's stance on better ties with Pakistan, saying: "He [PM Imran] is a self-respecting man. Don’t push him into a corner. He can change things in the subcontinent.”

Referring to the 'better' relations between Islamabad and New Delhi during the Musharraf regime, Dulat said, "There has not been a more reasonable leader in Pakistan in the past 30 years," adding, "It is sad that once he [Musharraf] stepped down, a lot less has been done in terms of Pakistan-India relations."



Without naming Islamabad's efforts for better bilateral ties and its stance to resolve all issues through dialogue, the former RAW chief said, “Talks are the only way forward for both nuclear-armed nations. I would even suggest an institutional arrangement between the intelligence agencies of both countries."

This story originally appeared in the Hindustan Times