Pak submits bill to tame ISI
10 July 2012 1:56 AM GMT
A bill has been submitted in the Senate as part of efforts by Pakistan's presidency to tame the spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence through parliamentary oversight and to make it answerable to parliament and the government.
The 19-page draft bill was submitted in the Senate or upper house of parliament by Farhatullah Babar, the spokesman for President Asif Ali Zardari, a few days ago and may be taken up during a session beginning on Monday.
Sources in the ruling Pakistan People's Party told the Dawn newspaper that the important legislation had been discussed with partners in the federal coalition.
The proposed Inter-Services Intelligence Agency [Functions, Powers and Regulation] Act of 2012 suggests that the powerful spy agency should be answerable to parliament and the Prime Minister, the daily reported.
It recommends internal accountability within the agency and a better discipline system to end enforced disappearances and victimisation of political parties.
This is the first time that a serious effort is being made to streamline the affairs of the ISI, which faced severe criticism in the wake of the unilateral US military raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistani territory last year.
The legal fraternity praised the effort to make the ISI subservient to parliament.
Giving the background of the proposed legislation, the bill states: 'The absence of appropriate legislation regulating the functioning, duties, powers and responsibilities of the agency is not consistent with the principles of natural justice and accountability of authority and power, and has given rise to resentment against the premier national agency.'
The 19-page draft bill was submitted in the Senate or upper house of parliament by Farhatullah Babar, the spokesman for President Asif Ali Zardari, a few days ago and may be taken up during a session beginning on Monday.
Sources in the ruling Pakistan People's Party told the Dawn newspaper that the important legislation had been discussed with partners in the federal coalition.
The proposed Inter-Services Intelligence Agency [Functions, Powers and Regulation] Act of 2012 suggests that the powerful spy agency should be answerable to parliament and the Prime Minister, the daily reported.
It recommends internal accountability within the agency and a better discipline system to end enforced disappearances and victimisation of political parties.
This is the first time that a serious effort is being made to streamline the affairs of the ISI, which faced severe criticism in the wake of the unilateral US military raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistani territory last year.
The legal fraternity praised the effort to make the ISI subservient to parliament.
Giving the background of the proposed legislation, the bill states: 'The absence of appropriate legislation regulating the functioning, duties, powers and responsibilities of the agency is not consistent with the principles of natural justice and accountability of authority and power, and has given rise to resentment against the premier national agency.'
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