Pak govt to clip ISI, MI wings

[fatman17]

DNA [Daily News & Analysis] Homepage: Mumbai, India, World, breaking news, views, discussions

Pak govt to clip ISI, MI wings

Amir Mir

Monday, June 02, 2008 03:03 IST

LAHORE: The PPP government has decided in principle to introduce a legislation to disband the political wings of the notorious Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) in a bid to end the involvement of Pakistani intelligence agencies in politics.

According to government sources, curtailing the role of the intelligence agencies in the country’s political affairs is a part of the government’s proposed package of constitutional amendments likely to be tabled before the parliament for approval soon after the budget session.

The sources say the government is considering amendments to the rules of business to hold the intelligence and security agencies, including the ISI and the MI, accountable to the elected government, besides disbandment of their political wings.

Through an amendment, the sources say, the new government seeks the formation of a committee to cut waste and bloat in the armed forces and the security agencies in the interest of defence and security of the country.

According to the proposal, all senior postings in the spy agencies – be it the MI, the ISI or the IB — would be made with the approval of the government through respective ministries.

Before bringing in the legislation, the chief of the army staff would also be taken into confidence, the sources say, adding that the government belieevs it is the appropriate time when army chief General Ashfaq Kayani has himself expressed his resolve repeatedly to depoliticise the army.

After assuming command of the 6,00,000-strong Pakistan army in December 2007, Kayani’s first order to his officers in January was to refrain from holding meetings with politicians, saying they had no role to play in politics and should pay heed to their professional responsibilities — safeguarding the geographical frontiers of Pakistan. In February, Kayani ordered the withdrawal of 3,000 officers from postings on deputation with various civilian departments.
The ISI was accused of manipulating the 1990 elections in favour of Nawaz Sharif’s Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, an alliance of Islamist parties, and a case in this regard, filed by retired air chief marshal Asghar Khan, is pending in the Supreme Court.

 

[Myth_buster_1]

Here comes another downfall of ISI, as if other external forces were not enough..

 

[vish]

Here comes another downfall of ISI, as if other external forces were not enough..

All the report talks about is clipping of the ISI's political wings and ensuring that the elected civil government has a say in the intelligence agencies.

How can this be bad for the ISI or Pakistan?

 

[blain2]

Its not. There should always be oversight. However it must be pointed out that ISI or the DG-ISI do not execute on their own contrary to public perception. So the legislations do very little if the government is careless in the use of this valuable asset (ISI). In the past, democratic governments have also used ISI for furthering their own political goals. Now if these legislations make it illegal for the ISI to be used in exploiting the political situation then I am absolutely fine with it. Actually the money spent on doing this work would be much better spent on the conventional activities of the ISI.

 

[kidwaibhai]

i think this would be great idea this would remove valuable resources away from political duties into where they are really needed taking care of these extremist freaks and getting them out of pakistan.

 

[Spring Onion]

I would not have believed in the report of DNA in the first place as DNA is a Tabloid being published from Bombay or Mumbai and it is considered as yellow newspapar type of thing but i believe the report as if you guys remember it was included in the manifesto of PPP prepared by late Benazir Bhutto at the behest of a super power which also included bringing ISI and other intellegence agencies under the PM.


Rest as far as political wing is concerned well it is always under the influence of the sitting government so saying that PPP will bring it under elected government is just rubish.

Lets see if one of the two most disciplined entities of Pakistan will agree to carry the dirty personal agendas of democraps of ISI would prefer Pakistan and its protection supreme.

 

[mujahideen]

I am warning this government not to interfere with the affair of the military or else they will have the same faith as previous governments.

 

[kidwaibhai]

I am warning this government not to interfere with the affair of the military or else they will have the same faith as previous governments.

i think you are forgetting that the army works under the government that is elected by the people. it is not a separate entity on its own. if any thing the government should reinstate the judges and not intefere in the internal matters of the judiciary.

 

[fatman17]

i think you are forgetting that the army works under the government that is elected by the people. it is not a separate entity on its own. if any thing the government should reinstate the judges and not intefere in the internal matters of the judiciary.

kidwaibhai - if wishes were horses!