The Pakistan government has officially empowered the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the country’s primary intelligence agency, to intercept and trace calls for national security purposes. This authorization was formalized on Tuesday through a notification issued by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act, 1996.
Reports indicate that this notification was a direct consequence of a cabinet-level decision made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, authorizing the ISI to trace and record calls. This decision appears to be part of the government’s broader strategy to exert stricter control over social media platforms. The opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been actively using social media to connect with its supporters, despite limitations imposed on traditional media outlets.
The notification states, “In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 54… 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 as envisaged under Section 54 of the Act.”
Furthermore, the notification asserts that the government will prioritize its access to the telecommunications system over any licensee, with precedence given to safeguarding national defense and security against foreign threats. The notification reiterates, “The federal government in the interest of national security and in the apprehension of any offence is pleased to authorise the officers […] to be nominated from time to time by ISI to intercept calls and messages or to trace calls through any communication system.”
Earlier in May, PM Shehbaz approved a draft amendment to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, proposing the establishment of a Digital Rights Protection Authority. Media reports suggest that the government is also implementing a national firewall across various internet service providers (ISPs) to regulate social media, employing filters capable of blocking unwanted content from reaching a wider audience. Since February, the Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) has been blocked in Pakistan, and on Monday, the government defended this action during a hearing of a petition challenging the block in the Sindh High Court.
Reacting to the recent authorization granted to the ISI, PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan expressed concern, stating that the government and its allies should acknowledge that these same measures could be used against their leaders once they are out of power. He warned, “They will be roaming around the courts when hit by the measures they are instituting now.”
