ISLAMABAD - Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges Tahir Mashhadi has summoned all heads of key intelligence agencies besides ministers of defence and interior on April 2 to reply a serious question regarding taping of phone calls of parliamentarians by intelligence agencies.
Chairman Committee Senator Tahir Mashhadi of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Monday told The Nation that notices had been issued to Director General (DG) ISI, DG Military Intelligence (MI) and DG Intelligence Bureau (IB) besides Minister of Interior as well as Minister of Defence to appear before the committee on April 2 regarding a privilege motion about taping of lawmakers’ phones by the intelligence agencies.
He said that a separate notice had been issued to Secretary Ministry of Interior and Secretary Ministry of Defence for their appearance before the meeting.
The Senate Secretariat has already issued the schedule as well as agenda of the meeting, says the official website of the Senate. The meeting was earlier scheduled for 25th of this month. “You hear conversation of politicians and you have made the country a police state - this is against the Constitution as well,” Tahir Mashhadi regretted and said all would have to answer before the committee.
Senator Haji Adeel of Awami National Party (ANP), in the sitting of the Senate held on February 12, this year, had moved a privilege motion in the House mentioning some media reports that that country’s intelligence agencies were recording phone calls of parliamentarians.
He had said that the intelligence agencies were breaching the privilege of the lawmakers by doing so. Chairman Senate had referred the privilege motion to the Senate Standing on Rules of Procedure and Privileges and had sought a detailed report from it.