Pakistan’s ISI Uses Foreign Tools to Spy on Journalists and Leaders, According to a Report
Islamabad, Pakistan: In a new study, human rights group Amnesty International claims that Pakistan’s security and intelligence services have routinely used cutting-edge surveillance technology purchased from foreign businesses to spy on millions of people, journalists, and influential political figures.
Chinese and Western Technology Drive Surveillance
The paper claims that Pakistan’s surveillance network is based on Western and Chinese technology, which has grown more invasive in recent years. It has been stated that supply chains, including Chinese and other foreign corporations, brought tools like the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMSMS) and Web Monitoring System (WPMS 2.0) to Pakistan.
Politicians and Journalists Under Investigation
According to Amnesty’s study, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and other security agencies continuously monitor their own citizens in addition to keeping an eye out for external threats like terrorism. The phone conversations, texts, emails, and online activities of journalists, opposition leaders, and human rights campaigners have all been monitored.
Results Supported by Global Cooperation
The study was carried out in association with the Digital Security Lab, DW Studio, The Globe and Mail (Canada), and the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab. It concluded that Pakistan’s extensive surveillance system seriously jeopardizes people’s right to privacy and their ability to communicate.
The ‘Digital Bottleneck’ Model
According to Secretary General Agnes Callamard of Amnesty International, Pakistan’s surveillance system operates on a “bottleneck model,” in which the government examines every piece of data that moves through the network.
“Messages, emails, and phone calls sent in Pakistan are now entirely within the reach of state surveillance. It is difficult to estimate the full extent of the intrusion into the privacy of millions,” Callamard said.
Threat to Democratic Rights
According to analysts, this extensive surveillance directly threatens democratic institutions and a free press in addition to violating civil freedoms. The report also stated that without technology solutions from China, the United States, and Europe, Pakistan would not have been able to establish its vast digital monitoring system.
About The Author:
Yogesh Naager is a content marketer who specializes in the cybersecurity and B2B space. Besides writing for the News4Hackers blogs, he also writes for brands including Craw Security, Bytecode Security, and NASSCOM.
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