Pakistani spy accuses his agency of ‘protecting’ terrorists

A serving assistant sub-inspector of IB, ASI Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Shahzad, has accused his senior officers of not taking action against terrorism suspects and filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) requesting it to refer the matter to the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for a thorough probe, The Dawn reported.

The IHC Registrar’s Office fixed the petition before Justice Aamer Farooq on Monday who referred the case to IHC Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi, with a note that the matter may be transferred to Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui since an identical matter is pending in his court, an IHC official said.

In the petition filed through his counsel Masroor Shah, Shahzad claims that he reported against terrorist groups from various countries but no action was taken.

“However, to the petitioner’s utter dismay, no action was ever been taken by IB in this respect despite concrete evidence provided to it in the form of the intelligence reports,” the petition says.

According to the report in Dawn, Mr Shahzad, in the petition filed through his counsel Masroor Shah, has said he joined the IB in 2007 and that he “reported against various terrorist groups having roots in Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and India”.

“Upon thorough intelligence gathering process, it transpired that certain high officials of the IB themselves are directly involved with the terrorist organisations having linkages with hostile enemy intelligence agencies,” the petition reads.

It goes on to say that the matter was even reported to the IB director general, who also did not take any steps.

The petition reads that the IB officials travelled to Israel and had direct links with Afghan intelligence which, it was found later, had links with another terrorist group from Kazakhstan, The Dawn reported.

“These terrorists used to disguise themselves as citrus dealers in Kot-Momin and Bhalwal, Sargodha. The business was a mere camouflage,” the petition says.

The petition claims that the son of joint director IB (Punjab) was dealing with the said terrorist groups.

It also names certain IB officials who are allegedly on the payroll of foreign intelligence agencies which include a joint director general, directors and deputy directors.

Shahzad said he “has been running from pillar to post including approaching the prime minister of Pakistan to raise this issue of national security.”

According to the report, the petitioner has requested the court that the issue of connivance, complacency and involvement of official of IB and other senior bureaucrats raised in the petition may graciously be entrusted to ISI for investigation.