Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI]



Pakistan Intelligence, Security Activities & Operations Handbook (World Political Leaders Library) (Paperback) (2006)

Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army, and the War Within (2008)

Pakistan in Peril (2009)

Overview of Intelligence Services

history

• prior to martial law in 1958, IB reported directly to PM and two military agencies to CIC of the Army – after 1958, all three fell under direct control of president and Chief Martial Law Administrator – started competing for loyalty to Ayub Khan and his government

function

• common goal is to look after interests/preserve national security of Pakistan on both external/internal fronts

• traditionally considerable overlap in their activities

• ISI/MI – focus more on matters of immediate military interest; IB – focuses more on domestic political activities

organization

• Pakistan has three main intelligence services – IB/MI/ISI

Intelligence Bureau (IB)

history

• grew in importance following Bhutto’s reelection in 1993 – way to root out influence of military – her Director General, Masood Sharif, was arrested, however, after she left office

function

• monitor politicians, political activists, suspected terrorists, and suspected foreign intelligence agents – from countries hostile to Pakistan; watches domestic opposition parties

organization

• under the PM’s cabinet division

• headed by Director General Intelligence Bureau

• part of Interior Ministry

• reports directly to PM’s office

Military Intelligence (MI)

history

• active during 1964 presidential election keeping politicians, particularly East Pakistanis, under surveillance

function

• counterinsurgency operations, identifying/eliminating sleeper cells, foreign agents, and other anti-Pakistan elements w/in Pakistan – monitor high-level military/political leaders – safeguard critical facilities such as military/non-military installations – limited external role

• operations in Sindh against Indian intelligence operatives

Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)

history

founded 1948 by British army officer, Maj Gen R. Cawthome, then Deputy Chief of Staff in Pakistan Army

Field Marshal Ayub Khan, the president of Pakistan in the 1950s, expanded the role of the ISI in safeguarding Pakistan’s interests, monitoring opposition politicians, and sustaining military rule in Pakistan

• active during 1964 presidential election keeping politicians, particularly East Pakistanis, under surveillance

function

used to collect foreign/domestic intelligence; coordinate intelligence functions of the three military services; do surveillance over its cadre, foreigners, the media, politically active segments of Pakistani society, diplomats of other countries in Pakistan and Pakistani diplomats abroad; interception/monitoring of communications; conduct of covert offensive operations

current status

has become a state w/in a state, answerable neither to leadership of army, nor president or PM – so no real supervision – corruption/narcotics/big money complicate the picture – drug money used by it to finance Afghanistan war and proxy war against India in Punjab and Kashmir

headquartered in Islamabad

Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) is main international financial vehicle

organization

Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee – deals w/ all military aspects of state security – charged w/ integrating and coordinating the three services – affiliated w/ offices of engineer in chief, director general of medical services, Director of Inter-Services Public Relations, and Director of Inter-Services Intelligence

staffed by hundreds of civilian and military officers and thousands of other workers – reportedly a total of about 10,000 officers and staff members, not including informants and assets

organized into between six and eight divisions:

15 Joint Intelligence X (JIX) – secretariat – coordinates and provides administrative support to other ISI wings/field organizations – prepares intelligence estimates and threat assessments

16 Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB) – does political intelligence – was most powerful component during late 1980s – three subsections w/ one devoted to operations against India

17 Joint Counter Intelligence Bureau (JCIB) – does field surveillance of Pakistani diplomats abroad – does intelligence operations in ME/SA/China/Afghanistan and Muslim republics of FSU

18 Joint Intelligence/North (JIN) – does Jammu/Kashmir operations (infiltration/exfilteration/propaganda/other clandestine operations)

19 Joint Intelligence Miscellaneous (JIM) – does espionage in foreign countries, including offensive intelligence operations

20 Joint Signal Intelligence Bureau (JSIB) – includes Deputy Directors for Wireless, Monitoring and Photos – operates chain of signals intelligence collection stations along border w/ India – provide communication support to militants operating in Kashmir

21 Joint Intelligence Technical

in addition to these main elements, also has separate explosives section and chemical warfare section – conflicting reports as to relative size of the elements – some say JIX is largest, others JIB (w/ 60%)

Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI]

The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI] was founded in 1948 by a British army officer, Maj Gen R Cawthome, then Deputy Chief of Staff in the Pakistan Army. Field Marshal Ayub Khan, the president of Pakistan in the 1950s, expanded the role of ISI in safeguarding Pakistan's interests, monitoring opposition politicians, and sustaining military rule in Pakistan.

The ISI is tasked with collection of of foreign and domestic intelligence; co-ordination of intelligence functions of the three military services; surveillance over its cadre, foreigners, the media, politically active segments of Pakistani society, diplomats of other countries accredited to Pakistan and Pakistani diplomats serving outside the country; the interception and monitoring of communications; and the conduct of covert offensive operations.

The ISI has become a state within a state, answerable neither to the leadership of the army, nor to the President or the Prime Minister. The result is there has been no real supervision of the ISI, and corruption, narcotics, and big money have all come into play, further complicating the political scenario. Drug money was used by ISI to finance not only the Afghanistan war, but also the proxy war against India in Punjab and Kashmir.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee deals with all problems bearing on the military aspects of state security and is charged with integrating and coordinating the three services. Affiliated with the committee are the offices of the engineer in chief, the director general of medical service, the Director of Inter-Services Public Relations, and the Director of Inter-Services Intelligence.

Staffed by hundreds of civilian and military officers, and thousands of other workers, the agency's headquarters is located in Islamabad. The ISI reportedly has a total of about 10,000 officers and staff members, a number which does not include informants and assets. It is reportedly organized into between six and eight divisions:

• Joint Intelligence X (JIX) serves as the secretariat which co-ordinates and provides administrative support to the other ISI wings and field organisations. It also prepares intelligence estimates and threat assessments.

• The Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB), responsible for political intelligence, was the most powerful component of the organisation during the late 1980s. The JIB consists of three subsections, with one subsection devoted to operations against India.

• The Joint Counter Intelligence Bureau (JCIB) is responsible for field surveillance of Pakistani diplomats stationed abroad, as well as for conducting intelligence operations in the Middle East, South Asia, China, Afghanistan and the Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union.

• Joint Intelligence / North (JIN) is responsible for Jammu and Kashmir operations, including infiltration, exfilteration, propaganda and other clandestine operations.

• Joint Intelligence Miscellaneous (JIM) conducts espionage in foreign countries, including offensive intelligence operations.

• The Joint Signal Intelligence Bureau (JSIB), which includes Deputy Directors for Wireless, Monitoring and Photos, operates a chain of signals intelligence collection stations along the border with India, and provide communication support to militants operating in Kashmir.

• Joint Intelligence Technical

In addition to these main elements, ISI also includes a separate explosives section and a chemical warfare section. Published reports provide contradictory indications as to the relative size of these organizational elements, suggesting that either JIX is the largest, or that the Joint Intelligence Bureau is the lrgest with some sixty percent of the total staff. The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) is the ISI's main international financial vehicle.

The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence is of particular importance at the joint services level. The directorate's importance derives from the fact that the agency is charged with managing covert operations outside of Pakistan -- whether in Afghanistan, Kashmir, or farther afield. The ISI supplies weapons, training, advice and planning assistance to terrorists in Punjab and Kashmir, as well as the separatist movements in the Northeast frontier areas of India.

The 1965 war in Kashmir provoked a major crisis in intelligence. When the war started, there was a complete collapse of the operations of all the intellience agencies, which had been largely devoted to domestic investigative work such as tapping telephone conversations and chasing political suspects. The ISI, after the commencement of the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, was apparently unable to locate an Indian armoured division due to its preoccupation with political affairs. Ayub Khan set up a committee headed by General Yahya Khan to examine the working of the agencies.

The ISI has been deeply involved in domestic politics and has kept track of the incumbent regime's opponents. Prior to the imposition of Martial Law in 1958, ISI reported to the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (C-in-C). When martial Law was promulgated in 1958, all the intelligence agencies fell under the direct control of the President and Chief Martial Law Administrator, and the three intelligence agencies began competing to demonstrate their loyalty to Ayub Khan and his government. The ISI and the MI became extremely active during the l964 presidential election keeping politicians, particularly the East Pakistanis, under surveillance.

The ISI became even more deeply involved in domestic politics under General Yahya Khan, notably in East Pakistan, where operations were mounted to ensure that no political party should get an overall majority in the general election. An amount of Rs 29 lac was expended for this purpose, and attempts were made to infiltrate the inner circles of the Awami League. The operation was a complete disaster.

Mr. Bhutto promoted General Zia-Ul-Haq in part because the Director of ISI, General Gulam Jilani Khan, was actively promoting him. General Zia, in return, retained General Jilani as head of ISI after his scheduled retirement. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto established the Federal Security Force and gave it wide-ranging powers to counter the influence of ISI, but the force was abolished when the military regime of Zia ul-Haq seized power in 1977. When the regime was unpopular with the military and the president (as was Benazir Bhutto's first government), the agency helped topple it by working with opposition political parties.

The ISI became much more effective under the leadership of Hameed Gul. The 1990 elections are widely believed to have been rigged. The Islami Jamhoori Ittehad [IJI] party was a conglomerate formed of nine mainly rightist parties by the ISI under Lt General Hameed Gul to ensure the defeat of Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in the polls. Gul denies this, claiming that the ISI's political cell created by Z.A. Bhutto only 'monitored' the elections.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan made Pakistan a country of paramount geostrategic importance. In a matter of days, the United States declared Pakistan a "frontline state" against Soviet aggression and offered to reopen aid and military assistance deliveries. For the remainder of Zia's tenure, the United States generally ignored Pakistan's developing nuclear program. Pakistan's top national security agency, the Army's Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, monitored the activities of and provided advice and support to the mujahidin, and commandos from the Army's Special Services Group helped guide the operations inside Afghanistan. The ISI trained about 83,000 Afghan Mujahideen between 1983 to 1997 and dispatched them to Afghanistan. Pakistan paid a price for its activities. Afghan and Soviet forces conducted raids against mujahidin bases inside Pakistan, and a campaign of terror bombings and sabotage in Pakistan's cities, guided by Afghan intelligence agents, caused hundreds of casualties. In 1987, some 90 percent of the 777 terrorist incidents recorded worldwide took place in Pakistan.

The ISI thereafter continued to actively participate in Afghan Civil War, supporting the Talibaan in their fight against the Rabbani government.

ISI is currently engaged in covertly supporting the Kashmiri Mujahideen in their fight against the Indian authorities in Kashmir. Reportedly "Operation Tupac" is the designation of the three part action plan for the liberation of Kashmir, initiated by President Zia Ul Haq in 1988 after the failure of "Operation Gibraltar." The designation is derived from Tupac Amru, the 18th century prince who led the war of liberation in Uruguay against the Spanish rule.

According to a report compiled by the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) of India in 1995, ISI spent about Rs 2.4 crore per month to sponsor its activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Although all groups reportedly receive arms and training from Pakistan, the pro-Pakistani groups are reputed to be favored by the Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence. As of May 1996, at least six major militant organizations, and several smaller ones, operate in Kashmir. Their forces are variously estimated at between 5,000 and 10,000 armed men. They are roughly divided between those who support independence and those who support accession to Pakistan. The oldest and most widely known militant organization, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), has spearheaded the movement for an independent Kashmir. Its student wing is the Jammu and Kashmir Students Liberation Front (JKSLF). A large number of other militant organizations have emerged since 1989, some of which also support independence, others of which support Kashmir's accession to Pakistan. The most powerful of the pro-Pakistani groups is the Hezb-ul-Mujahedin. The other major groups are Harakat-ul Ansar, a group which reportedly has a large number of non-Kashmiris in it, Al Umar, Al Barq, Muslim Janbaz Force and Lashkar-e Toiba, which is also made up largely of fighters from Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to press reports, several hundred fighters from Afghanistan and other Muslim countries have also joined some of the militant groups or have formed their own. The Harakat ul-Ansar group, a powerful militant organization which first emerged in 1993, is said to be made up largely of non-Kashmiris.

ISI is reported to operate training camps near the border of Bangladesh where members of separatist groups of the northeastern states, known as the "United Liberation Front Of Seven Sisters" [ULFOSS] are trained with military equipment and terrorist activities. These groups include the National Security Council of Nagaland [NSCN], People's Liberation Army [PLA], United Liberation Front of Assam [ULFA], and North East Students Organization [NESO].

ISI is said to have intensified its activities in the southern Indian States of Hyderabad, Bangalore, Cochin, Kojhikode, Bhatkal, and Gulbarga. In Andhra Pradesh the Ittehadul Musalmeen and the Hijbul Mujahideen are claimed to be involved in subversive activities promoted by ISI. And Koyalapattinam, a village in Tamil Nadu, is said to be the common center of operations of ISI and the Liberation Tigers.

The ISI’s involvement in the September 1992 election campaign period is well-known in Pakistan. Major-General Ehtesham Zamir, supposedly sidelined after the 30 April referendum, emerged as a key behind-the-scenes player in selecting and cultivating ‘pro-government’ candidates. Tariq Aziz, General Musharraf’s powerful principal secretary, and Brigadier (retd.) Ejaz Shah, Punjab home secretary and a former ISI officer, were also heavily involved in shoring up the PML(Q), the Grand National Alliance, and independent candidates considered to be ‘pro-military’. Politicians throughout the country reported visits by ISI and other government officials, during which they were urged to join a government-backed party and sometimes threatened with future corruption charges if they didn’t comply. These tactics, which essentially amount to pre-poll rigging, further reduced public faith in Musharraf’s promise to hold impartial elections.



Overview Of Intelligence Services:

Pakistan has three main intelligence services, Intelligence Bureau (IB), Military Intelligence (MI) & Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The common goal of these agencies is to look after interests and preserve national security of Pakistan on both external and internal fronts.

Intelligence Bureau (IB)

Primary job of Intelligence Bureau (IB) is to monitor politicians, political activists, suspected terrorists, and suspected foreign intelligence agents. The IB keeps tabs on political operatives from countries it considers hostile to Pakistan's interests. Intelligence Bureau (IB) is headed by Director General Intelligence Bureau and is part of the Interior Ministry of Pakistan. IB reports directly to the Prime Minister's office.

Military Intelligence (MI)

Military intelligence is tasked with counterinsurgency operations, identifying and eliminating sleeper cells, foreign agents and other anti Pakistani elements within Pakistan. Additional functions involve monitoring high level military and political leaders and safe guarding critical facilities such as military and non-military installations. MI also has limited external role as well.



The three main intelligence agencies in Pakistan are ISI, Military Intelligence [MI] and the Intelligence Bureau [IB]. Each agency has its own specific responsibilities, but all share the common goal of preserving Paksitan's national security. Since any significant domestic or foreign political activity impinges on national security, there has traditinally been considerable overlap in the activities of these three agencies. The ISI and MI have generally focused on matters of immediate military interest, and the IB concentrated on domestic political activities.

Prior to the imposition of Martial Law in 1958, the IB reported directly to the Prime Minister and the two military agencies to the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (C-in-C). When martial Law was promulgated in 1958, all the intelligence agencies fell under the direct control of the President and Chief Martial Law Administrator, and the three intelligence agencies began competing to demonstrate their loyalty to Ayub Khan and his government.

(The ISI and the MI became extremely active during the l964 presidential election keeping politicians, particularly the East Pakistanis, under surveillance.

Military Intelligence activities include operations in Sindh against Indian intelligence operatives. This organization, implicted in arrests of innocent people, monitors the activities of the leaders of political opposition groups. )

The Intelligence Bureau monitors politicians, political activists, suspected terrorists, and suspected foreign intelligence agents. The IB keeps tabs on political operatives from countries it considers hostile to Pakistan's interests, and it is responsible for harassing domestic opposition parties. Credible reports indicate that the authorities commonly resort to wiretapping and occasionally intercept and open mail.

The Intelligence Bureau is under the Prime Minister's cabinet division. A total of Rs. 25.8 million was spent on the IB in 1976-77. The Intelligence Bureau grew in importance with the re-election of Benazir Bhutto in 1993. One of her most controversial appointments to government posts was that of Masood Sharif as Director General Intelligence Bureau. Sharif was believed to have played an active role in toppling the Shabir Shah government in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). His appointment precipitated a major crisis in the Pakistani state apparatus, because Benazir then began using the IB chief to erode the once all powerful ISI's base. Benazir's attempts to root out the influence of military intelligence in the country's internal affairs mirrored the failed efforts of her father in the 1970s. This was the last straw as far as the military was concerned.

In his order dismissing Prime Minister Bhutto on 05 November 1996, President Leghari accused the Government of massive illegal wiretapping, including the telephone conversations of judges, political party leaders, and military and civilian officials. One of the first acts of President Leghari after dismissing Benazir was to imprison Masood Sharif, head of Intelligence Bureau under Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. He was arrested and imprisoned, not on corruption charges but as part of a murder investigation.

On 15 December 1996, the caretaker government announced that, effective immediately, all foreign and domestic mail was to be subject to censorship by the Special Branch and the Intelligence Bureau.



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