Lahore: Pakistan’s powerful spy agency’s new chief Lt Gen Zahir-ul-Islam has reportedly closed its scandal- hit political wing temporarily but leading political parties are doubting the move.
“I have read about the ISI chief’s statement in the media but I don’t think the intelligence agency has stopped monitoring the activities of our politicians,” a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, who did not want to be named, told PTI. The leader said a woman colleague, who is a member of the National Assembly or lower house of parliament, had told him that her mobile phone was being bugged by the intelligence agency.
“People may talk of the ISI’s political wing being closed but practically it is impossible,” the leader said, referring to reports that Gen Zahir had ordered a “temporary closure” of the Intelligence agency’s political wing.
PML-N spokesman Mushahidullah Khan, a member of the Senate or upper house of parliament, said: “We welcome the statement of the new ISI Director General announcing the abolition of its political wing. However, we hope that it will not turn out to be a mere statement.”
Khan was very critical of former ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, who retired last month, for promoting cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and his party Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf. “Gen Pasha had weakened the PML-N,” he said. (PTI)