Push ISI out of politics to uphold democracy in Pak: Editorial

Islamabad - Pakistan should push the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) out of politics so that it can play its designated role fully and is made accountable to parliament for all its activities, so that the notion of civilian supremacy and democracy is upheld, an editorial in a Pakistani daily has said.

For too long in Pakistan's history, the military and its intelligence agencies have pulled strings from hidden corners. These actions, in turn, have determined several political events at home and abroad, the editorial in The Express Tribune stated.

It has become clear that the ISI played a part in influencing the results of the 1990 general elections through a mysterious political cell, it said.

The Ministry of Defence told the Supreme Court bench hearing the case, which is commonly called the Asghar Khan Case, that it was unable to find in its files a notification said to have been issued in 1975 while setting up this particular cell. Given the evidence put before it, the Court has declared that the political cell of the ISI stands null and void from the start.

The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been able to alter the shape of events in Pakistan through various means for far too long, which is essentially both unconstitutional and has inflicted tremendous damage on the country's democracy, it said. The question now, however, is whether the clear-cut court order will be implemented; but there is a danger that this may not happen, it concluded.