The Pakistani government has made provisions for the ISI to undertake interceptions to trace communications in the interest of national security. Under Section 54 of the Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act, clearances were given to the authorized ISI officers from grade 18 or equivalent for intercepting calls and messages. The Ministry, in its notification, has identified ISI-nominated officers to undertake interception of communication, and that can be considered as strengthening efforts toward protection of national security.
This development comes in the backdrop of revelations made before the Islamabad High Court, which was explained before the latter in connection with a case regarding audio leaks that no intelligence agency had ever been authorized earlier to intercept any conversations. The government is taking these steps as part of greater efforts underway during the Shehbaz Sharif regime to further curtail the freedom of expression on social media on the excuse of national security and keeping the ban on dubious platforms like X in place.
Additionally, the government has proposed amendments in PECA for legislation pertaining to the Digital Rights Protection Authority. Reports also suggest plans for a national firewall across internet service providers, filtering and blocking objectionable content, that too, identification and curtailing of suspect content emanating from specific locations. Accordingly, measures against the misuse of virtual private networks are in the pipeline, reflecting the initiatives for enhanced digital security measures across the country.
