Disquieting reverberations
Even as Pakistan struggles to emerge from the horrors of Bajaur bombings, the government has attracted fresh criticism for introducing ‘draconian’ amendments to the secrets Act
Weeks after the deadly suicide bombings on July 30 in Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistan government continues to face flak from MPs and senators, particularly after introducing an amendment to an archaic secret Act that critics fear will grant "draconian" powers to its military intelligence agency, enabling them to detain and arrest citizens with impunity. The amendment was discreetly added during a parliamentary session and swiftly passed.
The amendment confers authority upon the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) entities to "at any time, enter and search any person or place, without warrant, and if necessary, by use of force," targeting individuals suspected of violating the Official Secrets Act, such as those leaking information about agency officials. Furthermore, it broadly defines an "enemy" as "any person directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, working for or engaged with the foreign power, foreign agent, non-state actor, organization or a group guilty of a particular Act tending to show a purpose that is prejudicial to the safety and interest of Pakistan."
Activists, politicians, and lawyers apprehend that this bill will stifle democracy and human rights in Pakistan. They reckon, it is a draconian law that will give impunity to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and institutionalize their already oversized influence on Pakistan’s affairs. Pakistan's military and security agencies, including the ISI, already wield extensive and unbridled power, “but up to now had no legal protection for the enforced disappearances, abductions, torture and lengthy detentions that they have long been accused of carrying out”, according to Shah Meer Baloch, writing for the newspaper daily Guardian.
Meanwhile, the recent bombing has refocused international attention on the terrorism scene in Pakistan. This year has witnessed 18 suicide bombings, surpassing the 15 recorded in 2022. The horrifying incident in Bajaur continues to reveal gory details about the victims. As of now, the death toll has exceeded 50 people. The Islamic State-Khorasan group (IS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack at the JUI-F rally, with the primary target appearing to be the party's Khar Ameer, Ziaullah Jan.
Continuing their scathing criticism of the Pakistan security establishment, analysts have decried the recent attack as a "complete failure" on the part of Pakistan's multiple intelligence agencies. It is difficult to dispute such allegations, given that these agencies have amassed substantial experience in dealing with terror groups, and security forces have executed numerous 'intelligence-based operations' against them. Their inability to prevent the Bajaur bombing marks a significant success for IS-K in terms of mass casualties, surpassing even the sectarian attack on a Peshawar mosque earlier this year. Additionally, there have been consistent indicators of IS-K's presence in Bajaur, which shares a border with Afghanistan's Kunar province, a well-known hotspot for terrorist training facilities.
Some experts also believe that IS-K militants, pressured by the Afghan Taliban, have relocated from their bases in Afghanistan and established cells in major Pakistani cities where they can more easily evade detection. Several targeted killings in Peshawar this year, including those of religious scholars and minority community members, were traced to a network of IS-K militants.
As Pakistan's elections draw near, political parties must establish protocols in coordination with law enforcement agencies. The intelligence apparatus should be well-coordinated and synchronized. However, this scenario seems increasingly unlikely, leaving the country vulnerable to more perilous terror assaults in and around the forthcoming polls.
In another security-related development, an Israeli company claims that Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency and various police units in the country have been utilizing products manufactured by the Israeli cybertechnology firm Cellebrite for the past decade. Cellebrite's flagship product, UFED, enables law enforcement agencies to conduct digital forensic work by accessing password-protected cellphones and copying all stored information, including pictures, documents, and text messages.
The CEO of Cellebrite claims that its equipment are exclusively sold to police departments and security forces, with the primary purpose of combating serious crimes, including terrorism. However, over the years, the company's hacking tools have also found their way into the hands of organizations that suppress human rights activists and minorities, among others. Security experts feel that the security forces in Pakistan are known to commit serious violations of human rights and freedom of expression. The US State Department’s 2022 report on human rights in Pakistan have been vehemently critical of the Pakistani establishment.
On the Israeli front, Israeli lawyer Eitay Mack has voiced sharp criticism of Cellebrite and the Israeli Defence Ministry, asserting that they should provide oversight of the company. He states, “Pakistan is not just another undemocratic country that is violating human rights, but a country that is ruled by the military and its intelligence units, which support international terrorist and crime organizations. Cellebrite’s systems could be used not only to persecute women and religious minorities that have ‘desecrated Islam’ but also to persecute journalists and opposition activists who are working to uncover the military’s ties with terror organizations like the Taliban and Al Qaeda”.
Furthermore, according to Mack, “Because of internal political considerations in Islamabad and due to Israel’s strategic relationship with India, there is no way that the sale of any type of security equipment to Pakistan will advance Pakistan’s relations with Israel”.
It is indeed intriguing that while Pakistan criticizes Israel for alleged excesses against Palestinians, labelling Israel as a Zionist state, it simultaneously engages in a collaboration with an Israeli technical company to suppress human rights and freedom of expression.
The writer is an IPS officer, Adviser NatStrat, security analyst and a former National Security Advisor in Mauritius. Views expressed are personal
