The political wing of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) will be handed over to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in a major reshuffle of the countryÂ’s intelligence apparatus, Dawn News reported on Tuesday. According to the channel, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani decided to make major changes in the intelligence machinery after consultations with Pakistan PeopleÂ’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari in an attempt to tighten the new governmentÂ’s grip on the countryÂ’s affairs.
| The government decided to end the political role of the ISI and hand over its political wing to the IB, which is now being headed by Wing Commander (r) Tariq Lodhi, a close friend of Zardari. |
Dawn News said the government had decided to end the political role of the ISI and hand over its political wing to the IB, which is now being headed by Wing Commander (r) Tariq Lodhi, a close friend of Zardari. Citing unidentified sources in the Presidency, the channel said President Pervez Musharraf was not receiving fortnightly intelligence reports from the ISI and the Military Intelligence (MI) any longer. The president was now relying only on the reports from the IB, which also shares information with the prime minister, the channel said. It said the ISI would now send intelligence reports to the prime minister and the MI to the army chief and the corps commanders. All civilian intelligence agencies would report to the prime minister, the channel added. |