Pak allows ISI to spy on citizens' calls, messages for 'national security'

Before Pakistan formally authorised ISI to intercept calls, the country's intelligence agencies reportedly had access to a surveillance system that kept tabs on millions without any legal backing

The Pakistani government has formally authorised Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to trace and intercept calls and messages in the "interest of national security".

Citing an official notification issued on Monday, Pakistani publication Dawn reported that the country's Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has authorised the ISI to "intercept calls and messages or to trace calls through any telecommunication system" in the "interest of national security", with the authorisation being granted to the intelligence agency under Section 54 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act, 1996.

Reacting to the notification, opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said that granting "unlimited powers for phone tapping to authorities" was synonymous with a "lack of privacy and human rights".

Referring to George Orwell's novel '1984', which centres on the themes of mass surveillance, totalitarianism, and censorship, former Pakistani human rights minister Shireen Mazari also denounced the move.

The development comes after allegations recently emerged that Pakistani intelligence agencies, especially the ISI, were snooping on the country's citizens, particularly prominent ones like politicians and judges.

A surveillance system snooping on millions of Pakistanis

On the orders of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the country's telecom companies have been operating a mass surveillance system that "enables interception of data and records of telecom customers", without any legal procedures or regulatory mechanism authorising such actions, reported a Dawn article published on July 2.

The surveillance system has been reportedly keeping tabs on millions.

According to the report, this information was revealed in an order of the Islamabad High Court in a case dealing with the surveillance of Pakistani citizens, whose private phone conversations were recorded and then released on social media.

In fact, before the February elections in the country, several audio clips, including those of former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse, were leaked on social media, prompting them to approach the courts.

The Islamabad High Court was told that telecom companies operating in Pakistan had been directed to "finance, import, and install" an intercept management system at a designated location, referred to as "surveillance centre", for the use of specific agencies.

However, the identity of these agencies was not revealed before the court.

During a hearing in December in a case related to audio leaks, the Islamabad High Court was also informed that the government had not permitted any intelligence agency to tap audio conversations.

In May, a Pakistani judge said that prima facie, no government or state official was authorised to surveil citizens, adding that anyone doing so or aiding such actions would be "liable for offences". The judge also prohibited telecom companies from sharing citizens' data with agencies.