Two senior servicemen held for espionage, face court martial: DG ISPR

Maj-Gen Ghafoor also says ex-ISI chief Durrani no more entitled to pension, facilities for writing The Spy Chronicles

The chief spokesperson of Pakistan’s armed force revealed on Friday that two senior servicemen had been arrested and facing investigations for espionage charges.

“Two senior military officials are under custody on charges of espionage. They are not part of a network and the army chief has ordered their court martial,” said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor while addressing an especially convened news conference in Islamabad.

The military spokesperson said the arrested officials were not part of any network and facing court martial charges in separate cases.

The arrests indicated a robust accountability system in place in the armed forces, he added.

Maj-Gen Ghafoor also said that former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani had been found guilty of violating the military code of conduct.



“An inquiry against him is underway. Durrani has been found guilty of violating the military code of conduct. He is no more entitled to pension and facilities and his name has been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL)."

Lt-Gen (retd) Durrani has co-authored a book, The Spy Chronicles, with Amarjit Singh Dulat, a former chief of Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

The press conference was called amid crescendoing war hysteria and relentless threats of military action from India in the aftermath of February 14 Pulwama suicide attack in occupied Kashmir.

The ISPR head issued an unambiguous warning to New Delhi, saying: “Don’t mess with Pakistan.”

“We do not wish to go to war. But please be assured, should you initiate any aggression, you shall never be able to surprise us. We shall, for sure, surprise you,” the chief military spokesperson remarked.