New Delhi: A controversial decision by the Pakistan federal government to grant the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency the authority to tap phone calls has been brought to the attention of the Lahore high court. A concerned citizen, Mashkoor Hussain, has filed a writ petition arguing that this move is a serious invasion of individual privacy and a violation of constitutional rights, Dawn reported.
According to the petition, the federal government issued a notification permitting the ISI to tap phone calls without any legal framework or safeguards in place.
The petitioner’s counsel, advocate Nadeem Sarwar, argued that this decision is a blatant disregard for the privacy of citizens and contravenes Article 4 of the Pakistani constitution, which guarantees the right to life, liberty, and security of person, the report mentioned.
The petition highlighted the vulnerability of telephone conversations in the face of advanced communication technology and the need for protection against abuse. It emphasised that the right to privacy is an inalienable right of every citizen, and any infringement upon this right must be in accordance with the law.
Furthermore, the petitioner pointed out that the rules for Section 54 of the Telecom Act, which pertains to the tapping of phone calls, have not been formulated yet. Therefore, the power vested in the federal government cannot be delegated to any person or agency without framing the necessary rules, the report added.
The petitioner has requested the court to declare the notification unconstitutional and order the federal government to formulate the rules for exercising the powers delegated under Section 54 of the Telecom Act. The case has sparked concerns about privacy and surveillance in Pakistan, with many citizens expressing fears about the potential misuse of this authority.
Meanwhile, a policy activist and the daughter of an Opposition politician in India have received messages by Apple, alerting them of the possibility of having been targeted by a Pegasus-like spyware, The Wire reported on Wednesday (July 10).
Late last year, several Indian Opposition leaders and journalists had received notifications from Apple warning them that their phones could have been targeted by “state-sponsored attackers”. The message read: “Apple believes you are being targeted by state-sponsored attackers who are trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID.”
