ISI closes its political wing

[HAIDER]

By Mateen Haider


ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: In a move which may have far reaching effects on the country’s politics and democratic set-up, the premier intelligence agency, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), has decided to disband its so-called ‘political wing’ that for the last over three decades had been actively involved in monitoring and managing political activities inside and outside the government.

A highly authoritative source told DawnNews that not only the ‘political wing’ was being disbanded, the officials working there have been given other assignments linked to the agency’s original role of counter-intelligence.

The source said with this decision taken at the highest level, the ISI would now be able to deal with more pressing issues like handling the crucial aspects of the war against terror.

Until recently, the so-called ‘political wing’ used to work under ISI’s Director General (C) which otherwise also deals with counter-intelligence activities.

With this decision taken at the top level, and implemented by the newly appointed ISI chief, the agency has dissociated itself from making or breaking of political parties and alliances.

“Following this decision, the ISI will be no more spying on politicians, and will play no role in manoeuvring or manipulating political activities in the country,” the source said. By now it had

become common knowledge that the so-called ‘political wing’, whose existences was otherwise never officially acknowledged, was manned by a brigadier, two colonels and a number of other junior military and civil officials, who would now be absorbed in other departments of the agency.

Although the ‘wing’ was associated with several controversial activities in the past, including the creation of an anti-Benazir Bhutto alliance in 1988, more recently it played a vital role in the 2002 general elections and helped the then president Pervez Musharraf in fulfilling his political objectives and formation of a coalition government with new factions of PML.

The source said the decision had been conveyed to the political leadership of the country and they had been told that the agency should not be approached for any political motive.
ISI closes its political wing -DAWN - Top Stories; November 23, 2008

 

[RabzonKhan]

Excellent, I believe that was the right thing to do.

 

[Luftwaffe]

Big decision...i still have my reservations and i am curious i dunno something fishy is going on.

 

[RabzonKhan]

Editorial: Redirecting the ISI?

November 25, 2008

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters in Multan on Sunday that the “political wing” of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been disbanded. He then added the stock sentence: “The ISI is a precious national institution and wants to focus on counterterrorism activities”. There is hardly any leading politician in the country who will mourn the alleged demise of the so-called internal political wing of the ISI. And the PPP has the most reason not to mourn it because it was the most targeted party under the “wing” since it was ousted from power by General Zia in 1977.

The last time the PPP tried to make changes in the ISI was some months ago when orders subordinating it to the Interior Ministry had to be hurriedly rescinded on the ground of some “misunderstanding” in drafting the relevant notification. Presumably, the abolishment of the internal political wing of the ISI would be the next best thing if it could get it in the circumstances. But has this really happened? Is Mr Qureshi levelling with us? We are not convinced.

Intelligence regarding terrorist attacks is bad. Even after it was let known that a certain number of suicide-bombers had left for the big cities, further action could not be taken because of lack of follow-through. The political wing was another name for “dirty tricks” which the rulers used. But there is no reason here to blame the ISI for having the “wing”. It was created by a civilian politician to keep tabs on what opposition politicians were doing. There was no “analysis” to speak of: there was intimidation and some “incidents” that the victims openly attributed to the ISI. When some politicians of high political ranking had their cars burned mysteriously, they lost no time in blaming the ISI for it. One “political wing” gang was caught trying to overthrow the reigning PPP government in a covert operation in 1989 ominously named Midnight Jackals.

After General Zia had given the ISI its orientation, it became difficult for succeeding civilian governments to control its officers. The PPP in 1988 tried to appoint its own choice of a general to the top job but found that its director general was hardly acceptable to the rank and file. That has continued since then. Fired ISI chiefs have boasted their lingering hold on the organisation while appointed chiefs keep swearing that the organisation is obedient to them. After leaving the top job some generals don’t mind dabbling in politics, clearly showing their bias in retrospect. One ISI chief actually created a political alliance against the PPP and today inspires the jihadi-religious elements. Another chief is informally leading the mammoth congregation of Deobandi Islam from where most of the banned jihadi organisations are drawn. Another has a case pending at the Supreme Court for handing out cash to politicians to affect the results of the 1990 elections. The “political wing” was also busy preparing grounds for victories in elections held by General Musharraf in 2002. Those who lost complained bitterly of “pre-poll” manipulations and clearly named the ISI. Yet, those who compelled the ISI to dabble in politics were finally punished by fate and the ISI could not save them.

If we want it, we can have a professional ISI. The wrong has been committed by giving the ISI — which is supposed to guard against external threats to security — a charter which undermines its professionalism. In the past, personnel were selected according to an ideological yardstick that may not be relevant any more. Many of the men who serve the ISI are still more fired by faith than intellect, which makes them vulnerable to the attraction of jihad and those who operate it. When the time comes to choose between the state and the people they have been handling, they tend to reveal clear signs of “reverse-indoctrination”. There are also retired ISI officials denouncing the state in public under the pretext of “human rights”.

We are at a crossroads as far as the task of intelligence is concerned. The old parameters are all gone, as was revealed by the incident of Lal Masjid which was partly responsible for bringing down the rule of General Musharraf. He kept on swearing that he had purged the ISI and brought it in line with his new objectives, but as the incident unfolded, it was revealed that there were divisions within that undermined the operation when it was finally ordered by him. Later on, once again, his assurances were belied when Ms Benazir Bhutto started receiving “inside” information on his real intent after her “reconciliation” with him.

If one uses an intelligence agency for political purposes, this is what one gets. So, if the news as given out by Shah Mahmood Qureshi is true, ISI professionals themselves must be relieved that they will no longer be required to use “dirty tricks” for politicians and will have the time and energy to serve the nation by securing it against external threats. The big challenge is terrorism. It has to be tracked objectively without political bogeys attached as an interpretive tool. *

 

[s90]

Good step

 

[fatman17]

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters in Multan on Sunday that the “political wing” of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been disbanded.

wrong impression by our indefatigable FM. the ISI political wing's "activities" have been put "on hold". the personnel are still there.
disbanded means finished and the assets moved or assigned elsewhere - not yet.

having said that i think the ISI should have nothing to do with politics.

 

[Geromix]

It is very good step.Will help Pakistan to a great extent.

 

[nitesh]

nope guys it is not done fully yet

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

‘Political wing of ISI not yet terminated’

* Senior security official says department made ‘inactive’, but staff not moved
* Says ISI going through transformation

Daily Times Monitor

ISLAMABAD: A senior security official has contradicted Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s statement that the political wing of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been closed, BBC reported on Monday.

Qureshi had told reporters in Multan on Sunday that the ISI political wing had been disbanded. “The ISI is a precious national institution and wants to focus on counterterrorism activities,” APP quoted him as saying.

Without identifying the senior official, BBC said the ISI political wing exists, but has been made ‘inactive’. The official said the staff of the department had not been given new assignments.

ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha had focused on counterterrorism during his previous assignment as the director general of Military Operations, the BBC said, and is expected to keep terrorism his top priority in his new office.

The ISI has been accused of several questionable political activities in the past, including the creation of an anti-Pakistan People’s Party alliance in the 1988 general elections and uniting several factions of the Pakistan Muslim League to form a pro-Pervez Musharraf party in 2002. BBC said ISI officials admit that interfering with the political process had cost the agency the trust of the people.

Transformation: The security official said the ISI was going through a transformation.

“The agency wants to stay away from political issues,” he said. “It wants to quit its past activities such as keeping an eye on politicians.”

Quoting other sources in the ISI, the BBC said politicians hoping to become senators still knock at the ISI’s door, and that the agency has complained people pose to have links with them to seek personal favours.

The unidentified sources also told the BBC that the ISI did not select or approve government ministers. Without naming anyone, the BBC said analysts had warned that governments might use the agency for political purposes in future because its political wing had not been closed down.

Only July 26, the Cabinet Division had issued a memorandum under Rule 3(3) of the Rules of Business of 1973, placing the ISI under the direct control of the Interior Division, but later decided to hold it ‘in abeyance till further deliberations’.

“The prime minister is pleased to direct that the federal government will carry out further deliberations on co-ordinating the intelligence efforts. Till the completion of these deliberations, the Cabinet Division’s memorandum of even number, dated July 26, 2008, is held in abeyance,” says an official announcement called ‘Memorandum’ issued by the Cabinet Secretariat on July 29.

 

[Kharian_Beast]

 

[Neo]

‘Political wing of ISI not yet terminated’​

* Senior security official says department made ‘inactive’, but staff not moved
* Says ISI going through transformation​

ISLAMABAD: A senior security official has contradicted Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s statement that the political wing of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been closed, BBC reported on Monday.

Qureshi had told reporters in Multan on Sunday that the ISI political wing had been disbanded. “The ISI is a precious national institution and wants to focus on counterterrorism activities,” APP quoted him as saying.

Without identifying the senior official, BBC said the ISI political wing exists, but has been made ‘inactive’. The official said the staff of the department had not been given new assignments.

ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha had focused on counterterrorism during his previous assignment as the director general of Military Operations, the BBC said, and is expected to keep terrorism his top priority in his new office.

The ISI has been accused of several questionable political activities in the past, including the creation of an anti-Pakistan People’s Party alliance in the 1988 general elections and uniting several factions of the Pakistan Muslim League to form a pro-Pervez Musharraf party in 2002. BBC said ISI officials admit that interfering with the political process had cost the agency the trust of the people.

Transformation: The security official said the ISI was going through a transformation.

“The agency wants to stay away from political issues,” he said. “It wants to quit its past activities such as keeping an eye on politicians.”

Quoting other sources in the ISI, the BBC said politicians hoping to become senators still knock at the ISI’s door, and that the agency has complained people pose to have links with them to seek personal favours.

The unidentified sources also told the BBC that the ISI did not select or approve government ministers. Without naming anyone, the BBC said analysts had warned that governments might use the agency for political purposes in future because its political wing had not been closed down.

Only July 26, the Cabinet Division had issued a memorandum under Rule 3(3) of the Rules of Business of 1973, placing the ISI under the direct control of the Interior Division, but later decided to hold it ‘in abeyance till further deliberations’.

“The prime minister is pleased to direct that the federal government will carry out further deliberations on co-ordinating the intelligence efforts. Till the completion of these deliberations, the Cabinet Division’s memorandum of even number, dated July 26, 2008, is held in abeyance,” says an official announcement called ‘Memorandum’ issued by the Cabinet Secretariat on July 29.

 

[genmirajborgza786]

Pakistan's spies 'quit politics'
By Haroon Rashid
BBC Urdu service
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the controversial "political wing" of the top secret service agency has been disbanded.

A senior security official used the term "made inactive" when asked about the Inter-Services Intelligence wing.

The political wing is widely believed to have been engineering domestic politics to safeguard what it considers national security interests.

This has led to the sacking of several elected governments, analysts say.

Mr Qureshi made the disclosure to the media in his home city of Multan on Sunday. The news was welcomed in political circles.

Civilian control rejected

A senior security official, requesting anonymity, told the BBC Urdu service on Monday: "The ISI is changing, it wants to keep out of politics and concentrate on counter-intelligence."

However the official said that the wing had only been rendered inactive and its staff had not been given any new assignments.


[The ISI] is not screening ministers and governors for their eligibility anymore
Senior security official

Historians say the ISI has been heavily involved in Pakistani politics since the 1950s, when the bureaucracy and the military emerged as the top power brokers.

But its activities to engineer domestic politics became more pronounced in the 1980s and 1990s.

The service is widely believed to have created an anti-Pakistan People's Party alliance before the 1988 general elections to ensure that the PPP, which it considered to be a security threat, would not win a comfortable majority.


In 1996, two ex-military politicians placed documents before the Supreme Court suggesting that the ISI funded anti-PPP factions before the 1990 elections, but the case never reached a verdict.

The ISI is also believed to have created a pro-army faction of the Pakistan Muslim League which came to power after the 2002 elections.

The ISI is also reputed to have been given the final say on the appointments of ministers and governors under political governments.

The senior security official confirmed on Monday that the ISI was "not screening ministers and governors for their eligibility anymore".

Western powers have recently blamed some in the ISI for offering clandestine support to Taleban militants to destabilise Afghanistan.

An attempt by this year's elected government to bring the service under civilian control backfired due to resistance from military circles.

It had to withdraw a move to place the ISI under the interior ministry.

ISI insiders believe the agency's over-indulgence in politics has cost the service the trust of the public.

Nevertheless, analysts say that if the political wing is not actually disbanded, the threat of its revival will remain.

Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan's spies 'quit politics'

Published: 2008/11/25 08:28:07 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

 

[fatman17]

ASIA PACIFIC
Date Posted: 26-Nov-2008

Jane's Defence Weekly

Pakistan shuts down political wing of elite spy agency

Farhan Bokhari JDW Correspondent - Islamabad

The Pakistani government has announced that it is shutting down the political wing of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) organisation, the elite spy agency run by the military.

"The ISI is a precious national institution and it wants to focus fully on counter-terrorism activities," said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a 23 November statement carried by the Associated Press of Pakistan (the government-run wire service). Qureshi described the move as a "positive development".

Traditionally, the military has used the ISI to extend its influence into the political arena. Forcing the ISI to abandon its political role demonstrates the determination of the government to make itself fully independent of the country's powerful military and to undercut the army's deep-rooted influence in national politics.

The decision also represents a further shift in the country's balance of power away from the military in a year that saw the ousting of former president and army chief of staff General Pervez Musharraf.

© 2008 Jane's Information Group

 

[s90]

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani confirmed late on Wednesday his government had scrapped the political wing of the military's main spy agency.
The disbandment of a section that had been responsible for spying on Pakistani politicians is the clearest signal yet by the eight-month old civilian government that it has begun asserting control over the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Directorate.
Gilani's statement confirmed an announcement by his foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on Sunday that the ISI's political wing dealing with domestic politics had been disbanded.

 

[SSGPA1]

ASIA PACIFIC

Traditionally, the military has used the ISI to extend its influence into the political arena. Forcing the ISI to abandon its political role demonstrates the determination of the government to make itself fully independent of the country's powerful military and to undercut the army's deep-rooted influence in national politics.

There should be a ban on politicians as well for going to Generals and begging for a martial law.

ISI's so called political wing is just one side of the coin. The other side is our cruel and corrupt politicians who when in opposition, make contacts with PA and media to dismantle the incumbent govts.

Once a martial law is inplace, the same politicians thank PA for saving Pakistan from another "nazuk mode".

Lets hope one day people will start voting sensibly.

 

[JK!]

In a way I don't like this as who will observe corrupt government practices?

Having said that not much was done about it over the last 30 years so this is a good thing and will allow more personeel and resources to target militancy in Pakistan.