Omar Ayub Khan Challenges Pakistan Government’s Decision to Let ISI Tap Calls

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 9: The Pakistan government has allowed the country’s spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to tap calls and messages, citing national security reasons. This decision has been met with strong opposition from Omar Ayub Khan, the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly.

Omar Ayub Khan announced that he would challenge this move in court, calling it unconstitutional and a violation of fundamental rights. He stated that the statutory notification issued on July 8 gives ISI blanket powers to tap anyone’s phone conversations on vague national security grounds.

He further criticized Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government, claiming that this power could be used to target politicians and media personnel, including Bilawal Bhutto, Asif Zardari, and Maryam Nawaz. The opposition leader plans to challenge this notification through his lawyer, Babar Awan.

The Pakistan cabinet has allowed a designated ISI officer, not below grade 18, to trace calls under Section 54 of the Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act 1996. This section allows the government to authorize any person to intercept calls and messages for national security purposes.

This move follows Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent actions to impose stricter social media regulations, including amending the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 and establishing the Digital Rights Protection Agency (DRPA) under the PECA Act of 2024.