ISI issue dominates debate in Senate

ISLAMABAD - The question whether Inter Services Intelligence is under Prime Minister or reporting to the  Interior Ministry dominated the ongoing law and order debate in the Upper House on Tuesday.

The issue of placing ISI under the Minister of Interior dominated the discussion over the law and order situation in the Senate. The joint Opposition also staged token walkout against the statement of Leader of the House, Mian Raza Rabbani, in which he had said that the secret agency was still functioning under the Prime Minister.

Senator Javed Ashraf Qazi of PML-Q said that the notification regarding placing ISI under the Interior Minister had not so far been cancelled, therefore, he said, the statement of the Leader of the House was misleading and an attempt to hide the facts.

Senator Wasim Sajjad said that the spy agency should not be destroyed, by placing the same under Ministry of Interior. Instead, he suggested, intelligence committees of the Cabinet and Parliament should be constituted to look after the affairs of ISI.

Federal Law Minister, Farooq H Naek Tuesday told the Senate that the government was sincere in restoration of judges and freedom of press. Responding to the allegations levelled by Senator Tariq Azeem, who accused the government of blocking out transmission during a private TV’s talk show, Naek said that the government was committed to ensuring the freedom of expression. He said that the coalition government had presented a bill in National Assembly to abolish PEMRA’s black laws, which he said was a sign of the present government’s respect for freedom of media.