ISLAMABAD: A day after the prime minister formally authorised the country’s premier intelliegence agency to screen government officials ahead of promotions or postings, individual leaders from the country’s three main political parties — including two who are part of the ruling coalition — have expressed their reservations about the move.

While criticism from PTI leaders such as Fawad Chaudhry and Shireen Mazari was to be expected, PML-N’s Pervaiz Rasheed and PPP’s Raza Rabbani were among the first to take issue with the move.

An Establishment Division notification issued on Thursday read: “In exercise of powers conferred by sub-section 1 of section 25 of the Civil Servants Act 1973 […] read with notification No. SRO 120 (1)/1998 […] the Prime Minister is pleased to notify Directorate General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as [the] Special Vetting Agency (SVA) for verification and screening of all Public Office Holders (Officers Category)”.

In a tweet on Saturday, former information minister Pervaiz Rasheed said that if the ISI was being tasked with vetting civilian officials, then the spy agency should be placed under civilian control and be made answerable to parliament.

Rabbani, Rasheed and Chaudhry stress importance of bringing agency under govt ambit; HRCP terms move ‘against democratic norms’

Separately, former Senate chairman and PPP stalwart Raza Rabbani expressed surprise over the notification issued by the federal government on Friday, saying that ISI was the prime intelligence agency of the country and, given the situation on the eastern and western borders, this additional task would be tantamount to over-burdening the institution.

Moreover, he said, it also blurred the distinction between the civil and military bureaucracy and expressed a lack of confidence in the civilian apparatus of the state. He said the Civil Servants Act 1973, as amended by parliament, was a comprehensive law and it did not provide for such screening of civil servants.

Mr Rabbani recalled that the courts, in certain judgements, had disregarded intelligence reports in such matters.

Both leaders also found rare common ground with former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, who agreed with Rasheed, saying if “institutions wanted to increase their role in civilian affairs, then they would have to pay for it in the form of public accountability”.

“The institution has to think about what role it wants to play in Pakistan’s politics. A discussion is needed on the new roles of civil institutions and institutions after the media revolution,” he tweeted.

This sentiment was echoed by his former cabinet colleague, Shireen Mazari, who termed the debate on this matter “critical for the future of democracy in Pakistan”.

Separately, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also expressed concern over the government’s decision.

“Even if this practice was already in place, it goes against democratic norms. The role of the military in civilian affairs needs to recede if Pakistan is to move forward as a democracy,” the HRCP stated.

It is worth noting that clearance from intelligence agencies has not only been an integral part of the promotion process for civil servants in the past, but it also plays a key role in the appointment of judges to the superior judiciary.

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan, headed by the chief justice, considers intelligence reports at the time of the confirmation and elevation of a Supreme Court judge.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2022