LHC receives petition contesting the govt’s decision to grant ISI the authority to tap phones

LAHORE, July 10 (SABAH): The Lahore High Court (LHC) has received a petition contesting the government’s decision to grant the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) the authority to tap phones. This follows the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government’s justification of the controversial move under the banner of “national security.”

Citizen Fahad Shabbir has filed a petition challenging the notification in the LHC through Advocate Nadeem Sarwar, making the prime minister, the federal government and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) respondents.

The petition claims that a notification issued by the government permits the ISI to intercept citizens’ phone calls, despite the absence of established rules under the PTA Act’s relevant section. “The Constitution of Pakistan upholds the privacy and freedom of expression of its citizens,” the petition argues.

The petition filed in LHC also references a ruling from the Indian Supreme Court, declaring phone tapping a breach of constitutional rights. The petition requests the court to invalidate the notification and suspend its enforcement until a final verdict is delivered. It also calls on the government to draft rules under Section 56 of the PTA Act.

The petition argues that the government of Pakistan has issued a notification allowing the ISI to tap citizens’ phones under Section 54 of PTA Act 1996 but the rules have not been devised under which the notification has been issued.