Ex-RAW boss AS Dulat praises Asim Munir meet with Trump, says meet PM Modi next
Dulat made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Geo News at King's College, during a discussion on his newly published book The Chief Minister and the Spy.
Dulat recalled how Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Pakistan to attend the wedding of Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter, and said that Pakistan must also try their hand at thawing the frozen ties, reported The News International quoting the interview with Geo.
Dulat said: 'I congratulate Field Marshal Asim Munir. Congratulations to the people of Pakistan. He should now come and meet Modi Ji in Hyderabad House and then may visit Amritsar. I believe that hardlines can be softened. In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Pakistan to attend the wedding of Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter. Things can and should improve. Someone needs to bowl first. Imran Khan is in jail. The Field Marshal or Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif can do that.'
Dulat agreed that relations are frozen between India and Pakistan, especially after the recent conflict but he was hopeful of a change, saying that if the meeting between Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir and US President Donald Trump can take place, so even he could visit Delhi, as reported by Geo News.
'Look at the Field Marshal's lunch in the US. Whoever arranged it, send him to Delhi too. If it can happen in Washington, why not in Delhi,' he told Geo News
He said that the Field Marshal's luncheon at the Cabinet Room and the Oval visit, lasting over two hours, was a major development in the US-Pakistan relations.
He said, 'This has happened for the first time. It's good and huge for Pakistan. I congratulate Pakistan but don't stop there, come to India too.'
Dulat told Geo News that India has good relations with the US.
He said, 'Pakistan has always progressed in these relations, that's why the Field Marshal is there.'
The former RAW chief advised both countries to talk directly to each other. He said there should be no war between India and Pakistan. 'It's good that the recent conflict lasted for only four days.'
He also praised Pakistan's hospitality.
'I am the only intelligence chief who visited Pakistan four times after retirement. Between 2010-2012 I visited four times. Pakistani hospitality cannot be matched. We cannot match it. I enjoyed it a lot,' he said to Geo News.
Dulat spoke about his friendship with former ISI chief General Asad Durrani and described him as a great friend.
Munir, during the meeting, lauded Trump for his 'constructive and result-oriented role' in facilitating a ceasefire with India following last month's armed conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
India conducted Operation Sindoor on May 7 following April 22 Pahalgam terror attacks where 26 tourists were killed.
The Operation was focused strikes on terrorists and terrorist infrastructure at nine sites in Pakistan and PoJK. It was India's 'measured, non-escalatory' action. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
16 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Rashtraneta to Rashtrapita': Mahayuti to celebrate Modi's 75th till Gandhi Jayanti
MUMBAI: The BJP and the Mahayuti government are all set to celebrate prime minister Narendra Modi's 75th birthday in Maharashtra for an entire two weeks. While the BJP will observe Modi's birthday week as 'Seva Saptah', the Mahayuti has decide to link his birthday to that of Gandhi, and will hold festivities between September 17 and Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, dubbing this the 'Rashraneta To Rashtrapita fortnight'. New Delhi, Aug 17 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Dwarka Expressway during the inauguration of its Delhi section, in New Delhi on Sunday. (DPR PMO/ANI Photo) (DPR PMO) In the Seva Saptah, which is being organised by the Maharashtra BJP, party members at all levels will shoulder responsibility for organising cleanliness drives and health services at hospitals. There will also be other drives, specifically those that will broadcast the schemes and performance of the state and central BJP government to the public. This thrust is expected to be the most important in order to cash in for the forthcoming local body polls. 'Everything is being chalked out and will be finalised soon,' said the BJP's chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye. 'The 15-day drive will involve leaders at all levels, including ministers, MPs, MLAs and officer bearers of all frontal organisations. As is the norm, we are celebrating Modiji's birthday as Seva Saptah this time too.' At the state government level, the 'Rashraneta To Rashtrapita' celebration will be held in all the districts. 'All the collectors have been asked to submit their report implementation of state and central government schemes and the current status of their implementation,' said an official from the revenue department. 'The government's aim is to attempt to convince people how well the 'double-engine government' is working, and how Modi's 'vision' has helped take the state ahead on the path of development.' The Mahayuti government led by Eknath Shinde had observed the 'Rashraneta To Rashtrapita' drive in 2022 and had involved all the collectors in it. At that time, the district administrations were asked to clear the pending applications of various services in two weeks.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
16 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Best of BS Opinion: India's choices in a world of shifting alliances
Sometimes, dawn surprises us. On some mornings, when the smog lifts a little late, the sky doesn't always glow orange or pink, it burns purple, evoking an emotion that is unusual, unsettling, but undeniably striking. A purple sunrise feels unfamiliar as it is neither night nor day, neither threat nor promise, but a reminder that the world can tilt without warning. Much like this strange dawn, today's writeups capture moments of uncertainty: alliances tested, policies shifting, and futures recast in unexpected shades. Let's dive in. In Washington, a purple sun casts long shadows on India-US trade. Peter Navarro defended a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports in the Financial Times, linking it to discounted Russian oil purchases. Yet larger buyers like China and Turkiye face no such penalty, exposing selective logic in US trade policy. With India already reducing Russian imports, the imbalance remains, notes our first editorial, and the debate now is whether New Delhi should pre-emptively lower its own tariffs to turn the purple glare into long-term advantage. Closer home, the unusual light also falls on Beijing's sudden warmth. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's first visit in three years promised cooperation on fertilisers, minerals, and visas, while signalling readiness for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected trip for the SCO summit. Disengagements on the border and resumed pilgrimages suggest easing tensions, but history shows Beijing's hues can change overnight, highlights our second editorial. For India, reducing dependence while broadening regional partnerships may be the only way to guard against sudden eclipses. Meanwhile, Shyam Saran sees the same strange dawn in Europe's courtship of Donald Trump. Leaders, eager to brand him peacemaker, endorsed territorial concessions to Russia, a diplomatic win for Moscow disguised as compromise. For Russia, it was a quiet victory and for India, the lesson is clear: avoid pandering to volatile leaders, prepare for hostile tariffs that will not vanish, and guard against 'grand bargains' that may push New Delhi to the margins. Yet amid the global haze, Vinayak Chatterjee points to the glow of opportunity within. He writes that India's Rs 1 trillion Urban Challenge Fund could finally give cities the resources to become growth hubs, provided projects are designed to attract private capital and avoid the stumbles of past schemes. With urbanisation accelerating, this could be the purple glow of opportunity on the horizon. And finally, in Gunjan Singh's review of Joseph Torigian's biography of Xi Zhongxun, the father of Xi Jinping, the theme sharpens. Xi senior's life, marked by loyalty, purges, and resilience, shows how power bends people and systems alike. It is a reminder that a purple sun rises when history itself is in flux and we must learn to read the colours before they fade. Stay tuned!
Mint
16 minutes ago
- Mint
‘Trump used trade as leverage for Indo-Pak conflict to an end': White House
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday (local time) repeated the claims made by US President Donald Trump on brokering peace in the India-Pakistan conflict after Operation Sindoor. Leavitt, during her press briefing, said that Trump was proud of the peace deals and leveraged trade to end the Indo-Pakistan conflict after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. "[For] India and Pakistan [conflict], he [Trump] used trade in a very powerful way as leverage to bring that conflict to an end. So I know he's very proud of all of these achievements, and I know he's very honoured to serve as the president of the United States and to restore peace around the world," she said. She said that Trump enjoyed having the Azerbaijan and Armenian leaders at the White House, helping them with the peace deal. "I think he's proud of all of the peace deals that he's been able to achieve. You saw the president of Armenia and the head of Azerbaijan both at the White House just a couple of weeks ago. The president I know very much enjoyed spending time with them and helping to bring that conflict to an end. He very much enjoyed his time with leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Oval Office, talking to them about bringing that decades-long war to an end," she said. Leavitt further said that the Secretary of State Marco Rubio continuously apprised Trump of various conflicts bubbling around the world, but now the Russia-Ukraine conflict has caught Trump's attention. 'In fact, there are many [conflicts around the world]. The State Department is always working around the clock under the leadership of Secretary Rubio and keeping the president apprised of conflicts that are bubbling up all over the world. But of course, as you all know, as we've talked a lot about in this briefing, he's spending a lot of time right now on ending this war in Russia, Ukraine, and of course, the conflict in Israel and Gaza, which he wants to see come to a close as well,' she said. Trump had earlier, on July 28, stated that he was optimistic about brokering the peace deal between the Southeast Asian nations, describing the talks as "an easy one," compared to his past claims of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict. "We're dealing with Thailand, and we do a lot of trade with Thailand and with Cambodia, and yet I'm reading that they're killing each other. You know, they're fighting. They're in a war. And I say this should be an easy one for me because I've settled with India and Pakistan, and Serbia and Kosovo were going at it," Trump said. Trump was referencing the recent India-Pakistan conflict in May, where he had claimed credit several times for brokering a ceasefire between the two nuclear nations, using trade as leverage. The conflict erupted after 26 civilians were killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, after which India retaliated through precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). However, according to Indian officials, it was Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) who contacted their Indian counterpart to request an end to hostilities, following which the ceasefire was then agreed upon. "Getting those things settled, if I can do it and if I can use trade to do that, it's my honour," he added, reflecting his belief in trade as a diplomatic tool.
