Imran ‘India’s best bet’ after Pervez Musharraf: ex-Indian spy chief

NEW DELHI: A former chief of Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is India's best bet after former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

Speaking at a session on the wisdom of spies during the Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh, AS Dulat said Imran needs to be given a chance to prove his intentions, a day after the Pakistani prime minister stated that he had asked his government to ascertain the status of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case in his country’s interest to resolve the matter. “Imran is our best bet after former president General (R) Pervez Musharraf… we need to give him time and a chance to prove his intentions.

“He [Imran Khan] can change things in the subcontinent,” he said. Dulat added, “I have not seen a more reasonable leader than [Pervez] Musharraf in Pakistan in the last 30 years”, the Hindustan Times quoted him as saying.

On the subject of talks between Pakistan and India, the former intelligence chief said, “Talks are the only way forward for both the nuclear-armed nations. I would even suggest an institutional arrangement between the intelligence agencies of both countries.”

Earlier this week, in a meeting with TV anchors and reporters in the federal capital, PM Imran said that Islamabad was sincere in establishing peaceful ties with New Delhi. He was commenting on the recent war of words between Pakistan and India foreign ministers stemming from Sushma Swaraj’s response to Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s ‘googly’ statement.