ISLAMABAD: Pakistani analysts and rights activists on Tuesday criticized the Pakistan government’s authorization of the country’s premier spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to intercept and trace calls on the pretext of national security, saying the move would undermine privacy of citizens and could be used to suppress political opponents, activists and media.
In a notification issued on Monday, the information technology (IT) ministry said the government had authorized the ISI to intercept phone calls and messages “in the interest of national security,” adding to the already outsized role and powers of the shadowy military outfit.
The decision has drawn attention to the issue of surveillance by spy agencies, particularly after audio clips, including those of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, were leaked online ahead of the Feb. 8 general election.
Arab News reached out to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), information ministry and telecom operators for comments on a recent surveillance system sought by government from telecom operators and the impact of fresh authorization to intercept calls on consumers, but none of them responded to the queries.
“The government’s step to allow intelligence agencies to intercept calls and by notification provide legitimacy to such government actions is extremely unfortunate because it allows non-transparent and unchallengeable circumstances for the citizens to protect their own privacy,” Adnan Rehmat, a journalist and media activist, told Arab News.
“This sneaky way of notifying to provide so-called legality to intercepting calls seems to be more political, triggered and designed.”
Although the government has the right to formulate policies, it must do so after open discussion and consultations, especially for policies impacting the lives of common citizens as these cannot be executive decisions and the viewpoints of those affected must be heard, according to Rehmat.
He said this was also a “suspicious move,” given the past experiences of tapping phone calls of political leaders, rights activists and other prominent figures, including judges.
Following the leaking of their telephonic conversations, ex-PM Khan’s wife, Bushra Khan, and others filed petitions in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), challenging the unauthorized surveillance and privacy violations. During the hearings, it was revealed that the PTA had required telecom companies to fund, import and install a mass surveillance system to access citizens’ data.
According to court documents seen by Arab News, the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS) enables access to private messages, video and audio content, call logs and web browsing histories. The court later observed that the mass surveillance system “lacked a legal foundation” and was being put in place without judicial or executive oversight.
Nighat Dad, executive-director of the non-profit Digital Rights Foundation based in Pakistan, said the IT ministry’s notification granted permission to listen to private conversations without adequate justification or reasoning, which violated the right to privacy.
“It also contravenes the Fair Trial Act by lacking oversight and accountability measures in case of misuse,” she told Arab News.
The Fair Trial Act stipulates that surveillance or interception of a citizen must be authorized by a proper warrant, including warrants issued under section 11, which permits the collection of evidence through interception, audio or video recording, communication monitoring, or surveillance of movements.
“If the privacy of citizens not posing a threat to national security is infringed upon, what legal recourse do they have,” she questioned, saying that this was concerning because surveillance orders typically included protections and safeguards for citizens everywhere.
Usama Khilji, a director at the ‘Bolo Bhi’ advocacy forum for digital rights, said the Fair Trial Act outlined a process for lawful interception that required obtaining a court warrant, which the latest notification violated and ignored.
“The excuse of national security has been used since the inception of Pakistan to justify political meddling and this is another example of it,” he told Arab News.
The audio leaks case in the Islamabad High Court clearly illustrated the political nature of surveillance, particularly targeting activists, journalists and political leaders, according to Khilji. It is an effort to provide “legal cover to existing practices.”
“There should be transparency and legal oversight over all surveillance mechanisms along with avenues for redress against illegal surveillance,” he added.
Munizae Jahangir, a Pakistani journalist and activist, said the government move was a clear violation of an individual’s fundamental rights and also Article 14 of the constitution as no law or provision within any law superseded the constitution.
Article 14 of the Constitution of Pakistan clearly states that the dignity of a man shall be inviolable, and within lawful limits, and home privacy shall remain private.
“It is hoped that this will be legally challenged as it likely contravenes privacy rights and may not withstand legal scrutiny,” she told Arab News, questioning if this was an attempt to turn Pakistan into a “security state.”
“The provisions outlined in the notification are typically reserved for times of war, which we are clearly not in.”
She said it was evident that such measures were being used not against militancy, but to “control political opponents, media, judiciary and human rights activists.”
Iqbal Khattak, executive director of the Islamabad-based Freedom Network civil liberties organization, warned that without a clear oversight mechanisms and well-consulted terms of references, this move would undoubtedly violate freedom of speech and privacy.
“Time and again, we have witnessed that in the name of national security, individual freedoms are consistently under attack,” he told Arab News.
Created in 1948, the ISI gained importance and power during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and is now rated one of best-organized intelligence agencies in the developing world.
Widely feared by Pakistanis, it is believed to have a hidden role in many of the nuclear-armed nation’s policies, including in Afghanistan and India. The ISI is seen as the Pakistani equivalent of the US Central Agency (CIA) and Israel’s Mossad. Its size is not publicly known but the ISI is widely believed to employ tens of thousands of agents, with informers in many spheres of public life.
Rights activists raise privacy concerns after Pakistan authorizes top spy agency to tap calls, messages
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Rights activists raise privacy concerns after Pakistan authorizes top spy agency to tap calls, messages

- Pakistan this week authorized its Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency to tap calls, intercept messages in the ‘interest of national security’
- The decision drew public attention to issue of surveillance by spy agencies, particularly after leaking of several audio clips of notable figures
Pakistani ministry signs agreement with National Testing Service for selection of Hajj staff

- Pakistan selects hundreds of assistants via competitive process every year to facilitate local pilgrims
- Pakistan has received 82,000 applications for next year’s Hajj pilgrimage under government scheme
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani ministry of religious affairs has signed an agreement with the National Testing Service, which will hold exams for the selection of supervisors and assistants for next year’s Hajj pilgrimage, the ministry said on Thursday.
Pakistan selects hundreds of assistants and doctors from federal and provincial government departments via a competitive process every year to facilitate local pilgrims in performing the rituals of the annual pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan had received 82,000 applications for next year’s Hajj under the government scheme by Tuesday when the submission deadline ended. Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims, to be divided equally between government and private schemes. The government extended the deadline for applications twice this month, first from Dec. 3 to Dec. 10, and then to Dec. 17, as it aims to fill over 89,000 seats under the federal government quota.
“Like last year, this year too, the selection of Hajj Assistants who will be sent on Hajj duty will be done through National Testing Service,” the religious affairs ministry said.
“According to the agreement, staff will be appointed on the basis of merit as per the federal and provincial quotas, in which a specific ratio of new and experienced assistants has been kept … Government employees and officers of Scale 7 to 18 will be eligible to apply.”
The ministry said it would “soon” announce the selection through an advertisement.
The ministry of religious affairs trains Hajj assistants and pilgrims every year ahead of their departure to Saudi Arabia to ensure all aspects of the pilgrimage process, including food, transportation, and accommodation in Makkah and Madinah, run smoothly.
Pakistan last year sent 550 Hajj assistants and 400 doctors and paramedical staff to Saudi Arabia to facilitate pilgrims.
Pakistani president calls for greater parliamentary cooperation with Saudi Arabia

- Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council is on three-day visit to Pakistan
- Council is legislative body that advises the king and his regulatory authority
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday met Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council, and discussed enhancing parliamentary cooperation and high-level exchanges with the Kingdom.
The chairman of the Shura Council, a legislative body that advises the king and his regulatory authority, is on a three-day visit to Pakistan, during which he has met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and others.
“President Zardari has emphasized the need for enhancing parliamentary cooperation and high-level exchanges with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to deepen the fraternal relationship between Pakistan and KSA,” the president’s office said in a press release on Thursday after he met the visiting dignitary.
“He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening economic, political, and cultural ties with KSA for the mutual benefit of both nations … both sides emphasized the need to transform the longstanding bilateral relationship into a more robust and strategic partnership.”
Zardari also expressed concern over the conflict in the Middle East, saying Pakistan stood in solidarity with “brothers and sisters” from Palestine, Lebanon and Syria.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are longtime allies, with Islamabad seeking closer economic, defense and security ties with the Kingdom, host to nearly 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates and the largest source of remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian nation.
Pakistan says five killed, no information on missing as search ends in Greece boat tragedy

- Report in Geo News says at least 40 Pakistanis killed in migrant boat tragedy off Greek island of Gavdos last week
- Six cases filed against suspects accused of facilitating transport of victims from Punjab to Libya where they boarded boats
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s mission in Greece said on Thursday five Pakistanis had been killed in a migrant boat tragedy off the Greek island of Gavdos last week but it had “no concrete information” on how many of its nationals were missing.
The latest incident of the boat capsizing highlights the perilous journeys many migrants undertake due to conflicts and lack of economic opportunities in their home countries.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel capsized and sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos. It was one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.
A report in Pakistan’s Geo News on Thursday said at least 40 Pakistanis had been killed in the latest tragedy, quoting the embassy in Athens.
“So far, we have information of five dead Pakistanis and another 47 who have been rescued. No concrete information of missing persons is with us, and this is the final information available at this time,” an official at Pakistan’s mission in Greece told Arab News over the telephone, declining to be named.
“We are in contact with the authorities who have concluded their special search operation.”
The official added that regular patrolling would continue, and Greek authorities would inform the mission if any new information became available. He declined to comment on the Geo News report and referred Arab News to the foreign office.
Speaking to Arab News, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the government had already released death toll figures and had no further information.
“We cannot comment on people’s statements or claims regarding how many Pakistanis were on board until we receive evidence from the investigation,” she said in response to a question about the Geo News report that 40 Pakistanis were feared dead. “It is difficult to verify the claimed figure, as there was no official record of their travel.”
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered strict measures to combat human trafficking and demanded a detailed report on human trafficking incidents involving Pakistani citizens this year.
Separately, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has filed six cases against suspects accused of facilitating the transport of victims from Punjab to Libya, where they were subsequently sent on boats to Greece.
Greece was a favored gateway to the European Union for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia in 2015-2016, when nearly 1 million people landed on its islands, mostly via inflatable dinghies.
Incidents with migrant boats and shipwrecks off Crete and its tiny neighbor Gavdos, which are relatively isolated in the central Mediterranean, have increased over the past year.
Pakistan calls for transport connectivity, trade corridors between D-8 developing nations

- PM Sharif is in Cairo to attend Eleventh Summit of D-8 countries, hold bilateral meetings with world leaders on forum’s sidelines
- Pakistani PM will also and attend a special meeting on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East with a focus on Palestine and Lebanon
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday called for better transport connectivity and trade corridors between member states from the D-8 developing group of nations to boost regional trade and economic cooperation.
Sharif arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to lead the Pakistan delegation at the Eleventh Summit of D-8 countries, hold bilateral discussions with multiple world leaders on the sidelines of the forum and attend a special meeting on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with a focus on Gaza and Lebanon.
The D-8 grouping promotes economic and development cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Türkiye. Key areas of cooperation are agriculture, trade, transportation, industry, energy and tourism.
The bloc’s latest summit is themed “Investing in Youth and Supporting SMEs: Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy.”
“Connectivity is a force multiplier and is rightly hailed as a vehicle for peace and prosperity,” Sharif said as he addressed the summit. “We need to explore the possibilities of developing and enhancing transport connectivity among D-8 member states for building efficient intra-trade corridors and reliable supply chains.
In this regard, the Pakistan, Iran and Turkiye corridor is an excellent project for very efficient connectivity.”
The Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul Road Transport Corridor is a cross-border trade initiative aimed at improving road transport links and providing more efficient movement options for goods between South Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Pakistan naval chief holds defense cooperation, regional security talks during visit to Oman

- Oman is the nearest Arab country to Pakistan, because of which they share a maritime boundary
- Last week, the Pakistan navy conducted joint naval exercises and drills with the Royal Oman ship ‘Alseeb’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani naval chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf is on an official visit to Oman to discuss defense cooperation, smuggling and regional maritime security, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.
Oman is the nearest Arab country to Pakistan, because of which they share a maritime boundary. Pakistan shares a unique ‘blood bond’ with Oman, one third of whose population originates from Pakistan’s Balochistan province, while the southwestern port city of Gwadar, which is 200 nautical miles from Oman, was transferred to Pakistan in 1958, before which it had remained gifted to the Sultan of Oman for 175 years.
“During the meetings, the security situation in the Indian Ocean and joint defense cooperation were discussed,” the military’s media wing said after Ashraf had separate meetings with the minister of the Royal Office of the Sultanate of Oman, and the commanders of the Omani Royal Navy and National Defense College.
“Naval Chief highlighted the role of Pakistan Navy in preventing piracy and smuggling,” the statement said. “Pakistan Navy is a strong supporter of promoting maritime security in collaboration with other regional countries.”
Last week, the Pakistan navy conducted joint naval exercises and drills with Royal Oman ship ‘Alseeb.’ The bilateral naval exercise, “Samar Al-Tayeb,” is conducted regularly between the navies of the two nations.