Islamabad (Web Desk): The government has authorised the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to intercept and trace calls in the interest of national security.
According to a notification issued by The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication on Monday, the federal cabinet approved the summary through a circular.
The authorisation was granted to the ISI under Section 54 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act, 1996.
“In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 54 … the federal government in the interest of national security and in the apprehension of any offence, is pleased to authorise the officers not below the rank of grade 18 to be nominated from time to time by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to intercept calls and messages or to trace calls through any telecommunication system as envisaged under Section 54 of the Act,” the notification said.
Meanwhile, the government is also installing a national firewall on different internet service providers (ISPs) to rein in social media with filters capable of blocking unwanted content from reaching a wider audience, as reported by the media.
The firewall aims to identify and block content deemed harmful to national security, alongside considerations to regulate the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
