Last Updated on 13/07/2024 by wccexam Desk
The Pakistani government has granted expanded powers to the country’s premier intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). As of July 8, 2024, ISI officers above the rank of Grade 18 (major and above) are now authorized to trace calls and messages across Pakistan’s telecommunications systems, all in the name of national security.
This decision was made by amending Section 54 of the Pakistan Telecommunications (Reorganisation) Act, 1996. The notification states that “the federal government in the interest of national security and in the apprehension of any offence, is pleased to authorise the officers not below the rank of grade 18 to be nominated from time to time by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to intercept calls and messages or to trace calls through any telecommunication system.”
The ISI, which is run by a lieutenant-general of the Pakistan Army, is already a powerful institution. This latest move gives it even greater authority, as it allows a significant number of ISI officers – potentially around 75-80 generals, brigadiers, colonels and majors across the country – to monitor communications in the name of national security.
This decision appears to be part of the Shehbaz Sharif-led government’s efforts to tighten control over social media platforms. The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been using these platforms to reach out to its supporters, despite the narrowing of space on traditional media.
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Reacting to the expanded powers granted to the ISI, PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan warned that the same actions would eventually be used against the current government’s own leaders once they are out of power. He stated, “They will be roaming around the courts when hit by the measures they are instituting now.”
The decision to empower the ISI in this manner has raised concerns about the potential for abuse and the erosion of civil liberties in Pakistan. It remains to be seen how this move will impact the country’s political landscape and the relationship between the government, the military, and the people.