London, June 20, 2025: Former chief of India’s premier intelligence agency RAW, Amarjit Singh Dulat, has publicly congratulated Pakistan following the high-profile meeting between Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, calling the development “significant” and “worthy of praise.”
In an exclusive interview with a Pakistani news channel at King’s College, London,where he was promoting his new book The Chief Minister and the Spy, Dulat described the luncheon between Munir and Trump as a “historic event” and expressed hope it could help break the diplomatic deadlock between India and Pakistan.
“I congratulate Field Marshal Asim Munir. Congratulations to the people of Pakistan,” Dulat said. “He should now visit Modi Ji in Hyderabad House and maybe also Amritsar. Someone has to make the first move. Imran Khan is in jail, Field Marshal Munir or Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif can step forward.”
The former RAW chief, known for his outspoken and conciliatory views post-retirement, said that despite frozen relations following recent hostilities, diplomacy must prevail. “Look at what happened in Washington. Whoever arranged that meeting should now send Munir to Delhi too,” he added.
The White House luncheon took place in the Cabinet Room and was followed by a two-hour discussion in the Oval Office. According to official statements, the two sides discussed regional stability, counterterrorism cooperation, and Pakistan’s pivotal role in securing a ceasefire with India after last month’s brief armed conflict.
President Trump, accompanied by Secretary of State Senator Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Representative for Middle Eastern Affairs Steve Witkoff, praised Field Marshal Munir’s “decisive leadership amid complex regional challenges.” Munir was joined by Pakistan’s national security adviser and interior minister.
Field Marshal Munir commended Trump’s “constructive and result-oriented diplomacy” that helped de-escalate the latest crisis between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
In a surprising admission, Dulat acknowledged that there was “no direct evidence” linking Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack that triggered the recent conflict. “Sometimes there’s no evidence. The attackers vanished. It was an intelligence failure—but these things happen,” he said.
He described the Indian response as a political necessity for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it “majboori” (compulsion), but cautioned against future escalation. “There should be no war—it’s dangerous,” he warned.
Dulat also reminisced about his post-retirement visits to Pakistan. “I am the only Indian intelligence chief who visited Pakistan four times after retirement—from 2010 to 2012. Pakistani hospitality is unmatched,” he said, fondly referring to his enduring friendship with former ISI chief General Asad Durrani.
In conclusion, the former RAW chief called for renewed dialogue between India and Pakistan. “Direct talks are the only way forward. We’ve seen enough conflict. If Munir can lunch in Washington, he can dine in Delhi too,” he said.
