The Pakistani government has authorized its intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to tap phones in the interest of national security and crime prevention.
This decision comes despite a recent ruling by the Islamabad High Court, which declared phone tapping without a legal framework illegal.
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has issued a gazette notification that outlines the authorization based on Section 54 of the Pakistan Telecommunication Act.
The notification specifies that officers of a certain rank will be appointed to carry out phone tapping and grants the authority to trace calls, messages, and any other form of communication.
This move by the government contradicts a judgment passed by the Islamabad High Court last month. While hearing petitions regarding leaked audio recordings, the court ruled that phone tapping without a legal mechanism is illegal.
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The court also raised concerns about the legality of an SOP established by the Ministry of Interior that allowed the ISI and another intelligence agency to retrieve data directly from service providers.
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