ISI has taken over GHQ

[Leader]

The army was constitutionally mandated to be an arm of the Pakistan state with elected civilians in control of the executive. But it has seized the commanding heights and subordinated the other organs of the state to its own unaccountable purposes.

In recent times, however, something even more sinister has been happening. This is the creeping growth of the ISI from a small arms-length intelligence directorate or department of the military (Inter Services Intelligence Directorate) in the initial decades of independent Pakistan to an omnipotent and invisible "deep state within the state" that now controls both military strategy and civilian policy.

General Pervez Musharraf's unprecedented appointment of General Ashfaq Kayani, a former DG-ISI, as COAS was the first step in this direction. The second was General Kayani's own decision to routinely rotate senior and serving ISI officers to positions of command and control in the army and vice-versa, coupled with his insistence on handpicking the DGISI and extending his service. Together, these decisions reflect a harsh new reality. The ISI has walked into GHQ and seized command and control of the armed forces.

This is a deeply troubling development because it violates the established norm-policy of all militaries in democratic societies - intelligence services must consciously be kept at arms length from GHQ because "field commanders must not get contaminated" or tainted by cloak and dagger operations in grey zones. That is why COAS Gen Zia ul Haq kicked Gen Akhtar Abdul Rehman, DGISI, upstairs to CJOSC rather than give him troops to command. That is why COAS Gen Asif Nawaz sidelined DGISI Gen Asad Durrani as IG Training and Evaluation. That is why COAS Gen Waheed Kakar prematurely retired Gen Durrani from service for playing politics in GHQ and then recommended Gen Jehangir Karamat as his successor rather than his close confidante and former DGISI Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi. Indeed, that is why the CIA, RAW, MI6, KGB, MOSSAD etc remain under full civilian operations and control even though soldiers may be seconded to them or head them occasionally.

The ISI's meteoric rise in the 1980s is well documented. It became the official conduit for tens of billions of dollars of arms and slush funds from the US and Saudi Arabia to the Mujahideen against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Three serving generals of the time were billed as "the richest and most powerful generals in the world" by Time magazine in 1986. Two of them, Gen Akhtar Abdul Rehman and Gen Hameed Gul were in turn DGs-ISI while the third, General Fazle Haq, was the Peshawar gatekeeper to Afghanistan.

Three Prime Ministers have fallen victim to the ISI. PM Junejo ran afoul of DGs ISI Gen Hameed Gul and Gen Akhtar Abdul Rehman over the Ojhri Camp disaster. Benazir Bhutto was undermined by DGs ISI Gen Gul and General Asad Durrani. And Nawaz Sharif by DG ISI Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi and COAS Gen Waheed Kakar. Indeed, Mr Sharif might have survived in 1999 if Gen Musharraf had not earlier cunningly moved Gen Mohammad Aziz from the ISI to GHQ as CGS because it was the latter who nudged Corps Commander Pindi Gen Mahmood Ahmed to execute the coup in the absence of Gen Musharraf.

The ISI's creeping coup - ISI officers returning to command positions in the army - against GHQ is fraught with problems. It has eroded the credibility and capacity of both the current DG ISI and COAS within the military and civil society. The ISI's spectacular failures (BB's assassination, Mumbai, Raymond Davis case, missing persons, Memogate, Mehrangate, Abbotabad, Saleem Shehzad, Get-Zardari, etc) can all be laid at GHQ's door just as the ISI's anti-terrorist policy failures are responsible for the loss of over 3000 soldiers to the Pakistan Taliban and the terrorist attacks on GHQ and Mehran Navy Base. The fact that both the COAS and DG ISI have taken extensions in service has also undermined their credibility far and wide.

This is a critical point in Pakistan's political history. On the one hand, the civilians all agree that the military should be subservient to civilian authority, that the national security state must be replaced by a social welfare state and that peace and trade rather than war and aid paradigms should prevail in security policies without friends or enemies. On the other side, the military high command is more lacking in credibility now than at any time since 1971. Meanwhile, the judiciary and media have broken free from the stranglehold of the civilian executive and military command and want to hold both accountable.

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission is desperately needed as in much of Latin America and Africa to hold errant civilians, soldiers and intelligence operators accountable. The ISI's internal political wing must be abolished and it must be brought under civilian authority. GHQ must follow security policies made on meaningful advice from civilians. And civilians should join hands to fashion a new national welfare state for the people of Pakistan.

by Najam Sethi @thefridaytimes.



Please avoid nonsensical posts about Najam Sethi and other rhetoric....

DO READ THE ARTICLE, it has raised some real issue....and its very dangerous development... the unconventional moves can damage the Institution the most...

ISI(Intelligence wing) should always remain away from GHQ ( Command and Control Operational wing)

 

[Pakistanisage]

The army was constitutionally mandated to be an arm of the Pakistan state with elected civilians in control of the executive. But it has seized the commanding heights and subordinated the other organs of the state to its own unaccountable purposes.

In recent times, however, something even more sinister has been happening. This is the creeping growth of the ISI from a small arms-length intelligence directorate or department of the military (Inter Services Intelligence Directorate) in the initial decades of independent Pakistan to an omnipotent and invisible "deep state within the state" that now controls both military strategy and civilian policy.

General Pervez Musharraf's unprecedented appointment of General Ashfaq Kayani, a former DG-ISI, as COAS was the first step in this direction. The second was General Kayani's own decision to routinely rotate senior and serving ISI officers to positions of command and control in the army and vice-versa, coupled with his insistence on handpicking the DGISI and extending his service. Together, these decisions reflect a harsh new reality. The ISI has walked into GHQ and seized command and control of the armed forces.

This is a deeply troubling development because it violates the established norm-policy of all militaries in democratic societies - intelligence services must consciously be kept at arms length from GHQ because "field commanders must not get contaminated" or tainted by cloak and dagger operations in grey zones. That is why COAS Gen Zia ul Haq kicked Gen Akhtar Abdul Rehman, DGISI, upstairs to CJOSC rather than give him troops to command. That is why COAS Gen Asif Nawaz sidelined DGISI Gen Asad Durrani as IG Training and Evaluation. That is why COAS Gen Waheed Kakar prematurely retired Gen Durrani from service for playing politics in GHQ and then recommended Gen Jehangir Karamat as his successor rather than his close confidante and former DGISI Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi. Indeed, that is why the CIA, RAW, MI6, KGB, MOSSAD etc remain under full civilian operations and control even though soldiers may be seconded to them or head them occasionally.

The ISI's meteoric rise in the 1980s is well documented. It became the official conduit for tens of billions of dollars of arms and slush funds from the US and Saudi Arabia to the Mujahideen against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Three serving generals of the time were billed as "the richest and most powerful generals in the world" by Time magazine in 1986. Two of them, Gen Akhtar Abdul Rehman and Gen Hameed Gul were in turn DGs-ISI while the third, General Fazle Haq, was the Peshawar gatekeeper to Afghanistan.

Three Prime Ministers have fallen victim to the ISI. PM Junejo ran afoul of DGs ISI Gen Hameed Gul and Gen Akhtar Abdul Rehman over the Ojhri Camp disaster. Benazir Bhutto was undermined by DGs ISI Gen Gul and General Asad Durrani. And Nawaz Sharif by DG ISI Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi and COAS Gen Waheed Kakar. Indeed, Mr Sharif might have survived in 1999 if Gen Musharraf had not earlier cunningly moved Gen Mohammad Aziz from the ISI to GHQ as CGS because it was the latter who nudged Corps Commander Pindi Gen Mahmood Ahmed to execute the coup in the absence of Gen Musharraf.

The ISI's creeping coup - ISI officers returning to command positions in the army - against GHQ is fraught with problems. It has eroded the credibility and capacity of both the current DG ISI and COAS within the military and civil society. The ISI's spectacular failures (BB's assassination, Mumbai, Raymond Davis case, missing persons, Memogate, Mehrangate, Abbotabad, Saleem Shehzad, Get-Zardari, etc) can all be laid at GHQ's door just as the ISI's anti-terrorist policy failures are responsible for the loss of over 3000 soldiers to the Pakistan Taliban and the terrorist attacks on GHQ and Mehran Navy Base. The fact that both the COAS and DG ISI have taken extensions in service has also undermined their credibility far and wide.

This is a critical point in Pakistan's political history. On the one hand, the civilians all agree that the military should be subservient to civilian authority, that the national security state must be replaced by a social welfare state and that peace and trade rather than war and aid paradigms should prevail in security policies without friends or enemies. On the other side, the military high command is more lacking in credibility now than at any time since 1971. Meanwhile, the judiciary and media have broken free from the stranglehold of the civilian executive and military command and want to hold both accountable.

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission is desperately needed as in much of Latin America and Africa to hold errant civilians, soldiers and intelligence operators accountable. The ISI's internal political wing must be abolished and it must be brought under civilian authority. GHQ must follow security policies made on meaningful advice from civilians. And civilians should join hands to fashion a new national welfare state for the people of Pakistan.

by Najam Sethi @thefridaytimes.



Please avoid nonsensical posts about Najam Sethi and other rhetoric....

DO READ THE ARTICLE, it has has raised some real issue....and its very dangerous development... the unconventional moves can damage the Institution the most...

ISI(Intelligence wing) should always remain away from GHQ ( Command and control Operational wing)

Somebody should inform this MORON Najam Sethi that ISI has been manned by officers from Pakistan Armed Forces since its inception. These officers are sent to ISI on three year rotation and end back in their units. This has been the modus operandi since the inception of ISI. This traitor is a paid agent of foreign countries.

Quit posting BS articles by enemies of Pakistan.

 

[illusion8]

I remember Asim Aquil talking of a few sinister entities in the GHQ who are the reason for a lot of Pk's problems.

 

[53fd]

Even inside the US, although the Army is subservient to a "civilian authority", the military commanders are not necessarily in line with their approach to the government. Likewise, there are certain "rifts" between the Army & the government in Pakistan from time to time (a bit similar to the US), but contrary to common perception, the security establishment (Army & ISI) has always been accountable to the highest authority in Pakistan (a civilian authority): the Supreme Court.

Even inside the CIA, as the appointment of General Petraeus as the CIA chief has shown, there is an increased militarization in their intelligence agency, and much closer links formed between the security apparatus/establishment (the military & the intelligence agency), just like the ISI. So what is happening in Pakistan is not uncommon.

Intelligence agencies, in the matters of highest national security, are given leeway in terms of accountability from the judiciary; even though they are a civilian outfit. National security trumps all. In Pakistan unlike the US, the security apparatus/establishment (ISI/Army) are much more accountable to the judiciary because of poor anti-terrorism laws enacted by the legislature, and the poor implementation of these laws by the judiciary. In the US, because of strong anti-terrorism laws, the security establishment (CIA, US military) has much more control and authority (and leeway) of the affairs of the US, than the Pakistan security establishment has inside Pakistan. Because of the poor enactment & implementation of anti-terrorism laws inside Pakistan (the fault of the legislature & the judiciary), some of the actions of the ISI might fall out of the realm of legality; whereas in the US, because of strong enactment & implementation of anti-terrorism laws, the CIA enjoys more control, authority, leeway of the affairs of the US than the ISI for Pakistan, but they fall in the realm of legality.

So the end fault again lies with the civilian establishment.

 

[The King Hamza]

Yeah Najam Sethi is a A#sho#e

 

[pak-marine]

Pakistanis need to strap a PATTA round the neck of this rouge organisation , they need to be deciplined by parliamentarians and if civilian master orders are not followed by these thugs than courts should punish them.

 

[Amolthebest]

If your Intelligence agency is influencing major decisions then warning bells are ringing.

 

[sohailbarki]

Everybody knows Najam sethi is a rat, and who control this puppet is also known.

 

[BATMAN]

Pakistanis need to strap a PATTA round the neck of this rouge organisation , they need to be deciplined by parliamentarians and if civilian master orders are not followed by these thugs than courts should punish them.

ISI is being victimized lately by the implants of foreign states.

Pakistan shall worry more about the children being kidnapped by RAW.

 

[somebozo]

The so called "elected civilian" representatives cant:

1. Control law and order in one city of Karachi
2. Cant formulate an effective economic policy
3. Cant agree on any logical decision
4. Are taking the country to dooms days.
5. Elected civilian leadership could not save breakaway east-Pakistan

And army is the only credible institution left with some merit and subjugating it to same incompetent elected civilian control would mean destruction of the country to its core. We dont want hippies like IK or terrorists like Altaf and druglords like ANP to control the country only organised institution left.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the spectrum lets not forget that it were the elected civilian representatives who sold the future of American nation for the benefit of few bankers. And wherever elected representation is being discussed, one cannot forget rising and shining India which is the hotbed of "elected representation" for last 63 years.

This stupid imran khan and his stupid burger followers who are implanting such thoughts are another MQM in the making which will be far more lethal!

Pakistanis need to strap a PATTA round the neck of this rouge organisation , they need to be deciplined by parliamentarians and if civilian master orders are not followed by these thugs than courts should punish them.

Dear that is not a very good treatment for your quaid, let him relax in his toilet in london

 

[notsuperstitious]

Even inside the US, although the Army is subservient to a "civilian authority", the military commanders are not necessarily in line with their approach to the government. Likewise, there are certain "rifts" between the Army & the government in Pakistan from time to time (a bit similar to the US), but contrary to common perception, the security establishment (Army & ISI) has always been accountable to the highest authority in Pakistan (a civilian authority): the Supreme Court.

Even inside the CIA, as the appointment of General Petraeus as the CIA chief has shown, there is an increased militarization in their intelligence agency, and much closer links formed between the security apparatus/establishment (the military & the intelligence agency), just like the ISI. So what is happening in Pakistan is not uncommon.

Intelligence agencies, in the matters of highest national security, are given leeway in terms of accountability from the judiciary; even though they are a civilian outfit. National security trumps all. In Pakistan unlike the US, the security apparatus/establishment (ISI/Army) are much more accountable to the judiciary because of poor anti-terrorism laws enacted by the legislature, and the poor implementation of these laws by the judiciary. In the US, because of strong anti-terrorism laws, the security establishment (CIA, US military) has much more control and authority (and leeway) of the affairs of the US, than the Pakistan security establishment has inside Pakistan. Because of the poor enactment & implementation of anti-terrorism laws inside Pakistan (the fault of the legislature & the judiciary), some of the actions of the ISI might fall out of the realm of legality; whereas in the US, because of strong enactment & implementation of anti-terrorism laws, the CIA enjoys more control, authority, leeway of the affairs of the US than the ISI for Pakistan, but they fall in the realm of legality.

So the end fault again lies with the civilian establishment.

Thats a a very poorly written apology, missing the most basic principles of accountability, democracy, lacking in a basic understanding of checks and balances, without a clue about time needed for maturing any system, logical fallacies about using possible faults in other systems to justify ones own, and finally full of mediocre army fanboy stuff.

 

[Peregrine]

What difference does it make? ISI and GHQ both are under Army.

 

[53fd]

Thats a a very poorly written apology, missing the most basic principles of accountability, democracy, lacking in a basic understanding of checks and balances, without a clue about time needed for maturing any system, logical fallacies about using possible faults in other systems to justify ones own, and finally full of mediocre army fanboy stuff.

It's not an apology, national security trumps all. I have given very valid examples of free, democratic nations such as the US & UK where they have stringent anti-terrorism laws, and these do not fall under the jurisdiction of the judiciary.

The British judiciary reacted to the GCHQ case. Where Lords Fraser, Scarman and Diplock all believed that the issue of national security was outside the remit of the courts, Scarman writing that "It is par excellence a non-justiciable question. The judicial process is totally inept [sic] to deal with the sort of problems which it [national security] involves."

I know Indians would want anything that would weaken the security establishment of Pakistan, even being sympathetic to terrorists, or covering themselves in the garb of "human rights violations", but sorry, that is not going to happen.

 

[fatman17]

Pakistanis need to strap a PATTA round the neck of this rouge organisation , they need to be deciplined by parliamentarians and if civilian master orders are not followed by these thugs than courts should punish them.

and who is going to discipline these un-educated & currupt politicians. and what if the civilian masters flout the orders of the judiciary, then what???

 

[I M Sikander]

Somebody should inform this MORON Najam Sethi that ISI has been manned by officers from Pakistan Armed Forces since its inception. These officers are sent to ISI on three year rotation and end back in their units. This has been the modus operandi since the inception of ISI. This traitor is a paid agent of foreign countries.

This is Typically how men in uniform reply.
In the eyes of our military men all Pakistan who dare to question these Holy cows are Traitor and paid agents of CIA and RAW.

But i wonder why our COAS had one on one meetings with this Traitor Najam Sethi after OBL operation and why The National defence University frequently invite this RAW agent for lectures and discussion sessions.