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Amarjit Singh Dulat, Former Chief of India's premier intelligence agency- the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)- has praised Pakistan's COAS Asim Munir for his meeting with US President Donald Trump and has called for Munir to come to India and meet PM Modi to thaw ties.
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)
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