A petition has been submitted to the Lahore High Court (LHC) challenging the government’s decision to grant the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) the authority to tap phones. The Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government has defended this contentious move under the pretext of “national security.”

Filed by citizen Fahad Shabbir on Wednesday, the petition names Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the federal government, and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) as respondents.

The expanded powers granted to the ISI have come shortly after a high court judge criticized the “criminal act” of phone surveillance, igniting widespread condemnation over fears of power abuse and the infringement of fundamental rights.

The petition filed in the LHC cites a ruling from the Indian Supreme Court, which deemed phone tapping a violation of constitutional rights. The petition requests the court to annul the notification and halt its enforcement until a final decision is made. Additionally, it urges the government to formulate rules under Section 56 of the PTA Act.

Web Desk
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Web Desk

Laila Tariq, currently associated with Azaad English, is an Islamabad-based journalist with over eight years of extensive experience across print, TV, and digital media.

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