ISLAMABAD (SW): Pakistan on Sunday mourned the death of Hamid Gul, former spy chief that headed the country’s strong Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) during the late 1980s and earned himself fame for being the “godfather” of Afghan mujahidin.
The former ISI chief suffered a brain haemorrhage and was shifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Murree in critical condition a day earlier, Pakistan’s Dawn news reported. Born in Sargodha, Punjab on Nov 20, 1936, Gul joined the army in 1954 and was commissioned in the army in 1956.
Gen Gul remained ISI chief during 1987 and 1989 when the US-backed Afghan Jihad against the then Soviet Union was at the last stages. He continued working in the spy agency in the post-stages of the Afghan war.
Like many other hardliners in Pakistan, Gul publically supported the Taliban and often blamed India and the US for terrorism in Pakistan. He also had no regard for the politicians in his country and believed in a more authoritarian style of governance. Pakistan’s former women Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto named Gul as one of the perpetrator of her death days before she was killed.
Imran Khan, a leading politician in Pakistan has pronounced Gul as “a true patriot”. “Sad to learn of Gen. Hameed Gul's death, whether one agreed with his views or not, he was a patriot. Condolences & prayers go to the family”, Khan tweeted.
Civil society in both Afghanistan and Pakistan disliked Gul. "Yes, one of the conductors has died but his symphony still goes on!", Murtaza Solangi, a Pakistani journalist tweeted on his death referring to terror the man has orchestrated during his life.
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