Quoted by FIRST POST
A recent government notification permits selected officials to track and intercept messages and calls via any telecommunications infrastructure, ostensibly for the purpose of national security and the capture of criminals.
“The federal government in the interest of national security and in the apprehension of any offence, is pleased to authorise officers … to intercept calls and messages or to trace calls through any telecoms system,” said the notice.
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Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar informed parliament that the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications had been notified of the change as of July 8. He emphasized that misuse of the law would lead to action and that the measure would focus solely on tracking criminal and terrorist activities. The government aims to ensure that this move does not infringe on people’s lives and privacy.
This attempt in parliament has been met with considerable opposition from the opposition, especially the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party led by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. They contend that rather than being utilized only for security, these powers could be abused for political ends.
“The federal government in the interest of national security and in the apprehension of any offence, is pleased to authorise officers … to intercept calls and messages or to trace calls through any telecoms system,” said the notice.
There has been a lot of public and social media pushback, with many people voicing concerns that these additional capabilities would result in more surveillance and possible privacy invasions.
