Asma Jahangir besides being a human right activist is also a leading lawyer of the country. Whatever she says publicly carries weight. However, her recent statement questioning the role of DG ISI was irresponsible and immature.
On December 19, while speaking to the press after appearing before the Supreme Court Asma questioned as to why DG ISI, Lt General Ahmad Shuja Pasha went to England to investigate the man behind initiating the case, US citizen, Mansoor Ijaz. She also asked as to who authorised the DG to undertake the trip. It is understood that since she is defending Mr Haqqani, she has every right to plead before the honorable judges to save her client from any harm. However, pointing accusing finger towards the initial investigator, DG ISI, on the premises of the court in a press conference is against legal ethics besides attempting to dent the image of the country’s premier spy agency.
Asma should be aware of the fact that the ISI, like India’s RAW, Israel’s Mossad, UK’s MI6, USA’s CIA is assigned by the government the primary task to gather information that serves the country’s interest, from any corner of the globe. The ISI like all other spy agencies need not get specific permission to gather information in any country or parts of their own country. Asma’s second question as to why the DG ISI went to UK to probe what Ijaz had alleged, the answer is that the allegations had directly affected the national security and hence it was to be investigated. I must shower kudos on the DG who is an extremely busy man but spared time to personally travel all the way to London to undertake initial investigation since it was of paramount national importance.
HAMZA AYOUB,
Karachi, December 28.