Political rivals target ISI's new role to screen government officials, individual leaders

Islamabad [Pakistan], June 5 : Political rivals found a common ground to target the country's premier intelligence agency - ISI after it was authorized to screen government officials ahead of promotions or postings, individual leaders from the country's three main political parties -- including two who are part of the ruling coalition.
They have expressed their reservations about the move after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally authorized Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), of the new role, reported Dawn.
In a tweet on Saturday, former information minister Pervaiz Rasheed said that if the ISI was being tasked with vetting civilian officials, then the spy agency should be placed under civilian control and be made answerable to parliament.
Separately, former Senate chairman and Pakistan Peoples Party PPP stalwart Raza Rabbani expressed surprise over the notification issued by the federal government on Friday, saying that ISI was the prime intelligence agency of the country and, given the situation on the eastern and western borders, this additional task would be tantamount to over-burdening the institution, reported Dawn.
Moreover, he said, it also blurred the distinction between the civil and military bureaucracy and expressed a lack of confidence in the civilian apparatus of the state. He said the Civil Servants Act 1973, as amended by parliament, was a comprehensive law and it did not provide for such screening of civil servants.
Both leaders were also on the same page with former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, who agreed with Rasheed, saying if "institutions wanted to increase their role in civilian affairs, then they would have to pay for it in the form of public accountability".
"The institution has to think about what role it wants to play in Pakistan's politics. A discussion is needed on the new roles of civil institutions and institutions after the media revolution," he tweeted.
This sentiment was echoed by his former cabinet colleague, Shireen Mazari, who termed the debate on this matter "critical for the future of democracy in Pakistan".
Separately, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also expressed concern over the government's decision, reported Dawn.
"Even if this practice was already in place, it goes against democratic norms. The role of the military in civilian affairs needs to recede if Pakistan is to move forward as a democracy," the HRCP stated.
It is worth noting that clearance from intelligence agencies has not only been an integral part of the promotion process for civil servants in the past, but it also plays a key role in the appointment of judges to the superior judiciary.