LAHORE: A petition challenging the authority of tapping phones by ISI has been filed in the Lahore High Court. A citizen, Fahad Shabbir, represented by advocate Nadeem Sarwar, has challenged a government notification that permits phone tapping by the intelligence agencies.
The petition names the prime minister, the federal government, and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, among others, as respondents.
According to the petition, the notification allows sensitive institutions to tap the phones of their colleagues, raising significant privacy concerns.
Fahad Shabbir’s petition argues that the section under which the notification was issued has not yet been codified into rules. The petitioner maintains that the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to privacy and freedom of expression. By permitting phone tapping without clear regulatory frameworks, the government is allegedly infringing on these constitutional rights.
Referencing a ruling by the Indian Supreme Court, the petition asserts that phone tapping constitutes a violation of constitutional rights.
“According to the Indian Supreme Court, tapping people’s phones is a violation of the Constitution,” the petitioner stated.
The petitioner has requested the court to declare the government’s notification illegal and to suspend the proceedings related to the notification until a final decision is reached on the current application.
On the other hand, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has come out in support of phone tapping by security agencies, emphasizing its necessity in the ongoing war against terrorism. Asif’s remarks came amid heated debates and criticism from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, especially party leader Omer Ayub.
Khawaja Asif underscored the importance of phone tapping for national security. “We are in the war against terrorism. I will support phone tapping in the current situation,” he stated.
He further insisted that everyone should back the measure, highlighting that the phone tapping issue is currently navigating through legal channels. “Phone tapping is necessary for national security,” he claimed.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
