Bill seeking ISI’s accountability in Pak Senate

Email this page Print this page

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 victimization 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 and to address the issue of “missing persons” or those detained without charge by security and intelligence agencies.

“If this serious effort has been made by a parliamentarian, it should be backed by all political parties, including opposition parties like the PML-N,” said Tariq Mehmood, a retired Supreme Court judge. -PTI