Kolkata: Former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Amarjit Singh Dulat feels that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may at some stage later this year hold out the olive branch towards Pakistan and even "bail out" the neighbouring state which has been experiencing a political and economic crisis for the last few months.
"In this year, my hunch is Modi ji will bail out Pakistan. No inside information, but it is my hunch," said Dulat, who in his days as RAW chief is believed to have run many deep penetration intelligence operations into the neighbouring country.
Dulat also warned of a "formidable" Iran-Russia-China axis coming into being while stating that India's newfound ally, the US, "is far away, our neighbours are nearer."
"Every time is the best time to talk to Pakistan. We need to keep our neighbours engaged." It is imperative to keep talks open with "a little more public engagement", he said.
