When the powers that be in Delhi think of Farooq Abdullah, they think of former R&AW chief A.S. Dulat, too. The Abdullah–Dulat connection – unlikely, even dangerous – has shaped Kashmir’s history in ways that few understand. One was India’s top intelligence officer, the other its most defiant Kashmiri leader. They should have been enemies. Instead, they built a quiet, complicated alliance that has outlasted governments, betrayals and shadow wars.

From the explosion of militancy in the 1990s to the hijacking of Air India’s IC-814 in 1999 and the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, their story is inseparable from Kashmir’s most turbulent moments. In this book, for the first time, Dulat turns to the man behind the legend. What is Farooq like when the cameras are off?

How did 370 alter his place in Kashmir’s future? What divides him from his son and heir, Omar? And as Kashmir remains contentious, what cards does he still have to play?

The Chief Minister and the Spy is a collection of secrets, encounters and untold stories – some whispered, some explosive. With wit, candour and an insider’s eye, Dulat reveals ‘Doctor Sahib’ (as Farooq is popularly known) as only he can. Compelling and deeply human, this book offers a rare glimpse into an unlikely relationship forged in the heat of one of India’s most complex conflicts.