Peace talks with Pakistan will be futile, says former R&AW chief

: The Kashmir issue is now merely an “excuse” propped by the Pakistan Army to remain in control, said former R&AW chief Vikram Sood, who described the neighbouring country’s army as the “largest corporate” entity running a range of enterprises from “fertiliser to bread factories”.

Speaking at the launch of his new book, “The Unending Game: A Former R&AW Chief’s Insights into Espionage”, Sood has said that any peace talk with Pakistan, which by default thinks of India as an enemy state, will be “futile”.

“Kashmir is now an excuse for the Pakistan army to remain in control in Pakistan. It is now the largest corporate sector in Pakistan. It owns land, owns properties, runs fertiliser factories, runs bread factories, runs atta (wheat flour) factories... It also runs international logistic cell which supplies goons all over the country...(and)heroin,” he has said.

Pakistan, where general elections were held on July 25, will see cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan taking the oath as the country’s prime minister this week. Having handled things covertly all his life, the former officer was -- for a change -- open about his opinion about Pakistan, which he said was a country or a state just “in name”.

“I see very little hope that Pakistan’s mindset will change in foreseeable future. So anybody who talks of peace with Pakistan, well these are noble thoughts we should all have them. But if you ask me if we can happily exist as neighbours I think not,” he added.

NEW DELHI