Former ISI chief misses launch of his book The Spy Chronicles in New Delhi, thanks 'Indian deep state'

Former chief of Pakistani intelligence agency ISI Asad Durrani today missed an event, where a book he co-authored with a former RAW chief was released, as he did not get an Indian visa.

The book 'The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace', which Durrani co-authored with former RAW chief A S Dulat and journalist Aditya Sinha, was released jointly by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former vice president Hamid Ansari, former Union minister Yashwant Sinha and a few others in the event organised here.

"At the end, a very special thank to the Indian deep state. By denying me the visa, they have saved me from the wrath of our hawks. They will be happy to know that I have not yet been cleared by the South Block (which houses India's PMO and Ministries of Defence and External Affairs)," he said in a pre-recorded video message played in the event.

The book has been styled as a conversation between two spymasters covers a wide range of subjects including NSA Ajit Doval's way of functioning, the Kashmir issue and several thorny issues between India and Pakistan including Kulbhushan Jadhav, Balochistan and surgical strikes.