BERLIN: Pakistan’s secret service spied on German security forces in Afghanistan, raising fears that sensitive information could end up in the hands of the Taliban, a German paper reported on Sunday.
Without citing its sources, mass-selling weekly Bild am Sonntag reported that Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency warned its interior ministry that Pakistan had spied on 180 German police officers deployed in Afghanistan to train locals.
The interior ministry told Reuters that the BND suspected a German email had been intercepted but could not give confirmation. The ministry added it was not aware of any comprehensive interception of German police data.
Pakistan’s interior and foreign ministries and military were unavailable for comment.
Bild am Sonntag said private telephone calls, messages to the ministry, military mission orders and lists of police officer names had been intercepted.
The BND declined to comment on the report.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2011.
COMMENTS (56)
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ISI out of control ? you people are so naive how much control does Obama have of CIA ?
you know the entire Bay of Pigs Operation in America was carried out with Kennedy knowing a Single Thing or that in the 70s at least 5 Govt where overthrown in Latin america by the CIA with out any presidential input
ISI is firmly under control of Pakistan Army Whilst CIA is under control of Zionist and Lobbyist controlled Politicians
@Khatti Chousney: Would you care to tell us what their successes were in all these years?
@Someone Sure we can send Paki version of Raymond Davis to the US, but then he might get shot in the head quicker than he can draw his gun -- after all, remember that Raymond Davis's victims were armed.
But oh wait, we already sent Faisal Shahzad to the US.
Wonder why an official denial has not come so far. Great thing is that even before the comments of the ISI most of the commentators her already know that this is a conspiracy by the west. Good mind set.
Western countries never leave any stone unturned to malign the prestigious Pakistani spy agency, the great ISI making it responsible for wests failure in Afghanistan.
Just ISI's way way of saying "we're watching you", just to keep them in line.
@Maria: You deserve praise for a wonderfully written piece of comments. Salams to you.
Well i doubt the authencity of this report but however, at the same its right to know the whereabouts and other details of developments occuring in your neighbourhood
Shame Shame.
Malicious western propaganda
it is time that western media instead of spreading rumour, gossip start writing the truth, for all western/american are no saint,There are many skeleton in their cupboard Don't forget IRAQ. What you said before and what you found.Stop blaming Muslim countries for we are human and we have right to protect our honour and virtue.
If America can send over Raymond Davis's into Pakistan, I see no reason why it would be wrong for Pakistan to reciprocate in the same light.
What is to note is that whatever info Pakistan has German officials have assumed it will end up with the Taliban.
These are the jobs done by all premier agencies in the world and Pakistan is one of them so no surprise element in this news. I hope they were not female officers from Germany.
@von hettlingen..."nachrichtendiest" does not imply intelligence...it only means new agency...look what you are talking about...intelligence agencies are not "nachrichtdiest". :)
its part of their job, well done ISI . . .
its their job, well done ISI . . .
@Usman: Then shall I say that Pakistan is India's backyard? If you people want ur sovereignty then learn to respect other's sovereignty, in this case Afghanistan's.
And the CIA and German intelligence is NOT eavesdropping on Pakistan and others?
It is the sovereign right if Pakistan to spy over another sovereign nation.
Whats the fuss?
"Pakistan’s interior and foreign ministries and military were unavailable for comment."
Pls wait the Denial Dept is engaged with other more pressing denials.
So he was spying, Isnt that is his job. He is just doing what he paid to do. Nato and the Ameraican do the same thing in Pakistan, Please tell me what was Raymond Davis doing in Pakistan and why was his caught. If ISI didnt do its job we will all be speaking German soon
What? No denial yet?
@Arindom: pls add CIA, MI6,RAW,STASSI,GRU,KGB,KHAD,MOSSAD and others to the list.
@Khatti Chousney: At the end of the day they don't protect you. At the end of the day they're going to get you carpet bombed.
@Sao Lao: For being so good they get caught an awful lot.
I love Pakistan like any patriotic Pakistani but sometimes I wonder if our army is making the right decisions. Supporting Taliban is a big mistake! Really think about it. Who are they? What's their agenda? Who are their leaders? It's simply scary. Negotiating with them from a weaker position is not in Pakistan's interest. They may not be bad but they are lost and on the path of loosing Pakistan for us! We need a gutsy leader, now to make some gutsy decisions. For Pakistan's sake, I hope we find him or her SOON!!!
More propaganda against Pakistan, sign of desperation and a dangerous sign as well.
@Sao Lao: So Osama Bin Laden was found to be living WHERE for the past 6 years, along with wives and staff, all without "permission to remain in Pakistan"!
ISI should be nominated for 'Nobel peasce prize'
ISI is not actively spying at the moment but the fear it has created on enemies brain is heaps. Imagine what happens when ISI become vigorous.
@let there be peace: It is ground work to mobilize public opinion for boots on the ground. Change voluntarily or international community will force a change regardless.
I hope this story isn't true. "Bild am Sonntag" is best-known for sensationalism and its unverifiable evidence. Germany's intelligence - BND "Bundesnachrichtendienst" declined to comment on the report doesn't mean that the story is or isn't true. Maybe "Bild am Sonntag" had made an elephant out of a fly.
This makes me proud of being a Pakistani. We are lucky to have the ISI. Did the Germans think they could come in to our backyard and do as they please? Well, get in line.
I don't get it, There data got hacked and they put this blame on ISI? how did they know hackers were ISI agents? Stupid allegations
ISI is no different from taliban, qaeda, l-e-t, etc - only tax funded!!
It’s actually a Zionist conspiracy. Germans want to atone for the holocaust; Zionists have asked Germans to malign ISI, so that the only threat to their global domination is neutralized.
iSN'T spying exactly the thing that a spying agency has to do??? I.m sure somebody from germany was keeping tabs on isi and other agencies;that's how they must have come to know that isi was spying.in the first place.
How long we can hide our I.S.I from the global international networks,and how many foreign countries will listen to the daily denials of our foreign office.The office has literally exhausted it's vocabulary of English.They may opt to use the good services of Maulavi Fazalrehman,who can fool all the people all the time.Or they should ask ch shujat Hussain,to support the govt in these trying times.They can also try saad rafiq,sanaullh or khurshid if their bosses agree to loan them for reasonable commission.
As a great Aalim's Maulana guest once said, "kuch nazuk se halat hain."
it is only a part of malicious compaign against ISI and pakistan which has been launched by western media.the story is far away from reality and western media's grudge against pakistan can clearly be noticed in it.
How convenient for the Western forces to release such information when it suits them. We all know that that they plan on leaving Afghanistan and they are looking for a scapegoat to blame their failures on. Like before they plan on dumping the mess on Pakistan but I hope that the Pakistani leadership does what is best for the country alone. Remember how Pakistan worked as a front line state to defeat the Soviets in Afghanistan. We suffered the most and in the end, the West left and dumped all of the foreign workers and instability in Pakistan. Now they plan on doing the same. Let's seal the border with Afghanistan permanently so that no movement back and forth through the Pakistan Afghanistan border is possible. Then the West can't complain at all!
ISI got to got what it got to do ........................... at the end of the day, they protect this country!
and baseless allegations against the great ISI continue.
The ISI is out of control - time for some major changes. President Asif Ali Zardari tried to put this agency under his direct control when he assumed office and was told NO. He should make another attempt and if they don't want to report to Civilian authority then cut off their funding.
I like the way now a days the western media directly blame Pakistan and ISI, instead of the fringe elements and non state actors.
I.S.I is the best intelligence agency in world taking on all the hostile agencies head on. Keep defending Pakistan. Pakistan First!..
Keep on continuing your western propaganda against Pakistan security agencies, but let me tell you all that you will never succeed in your devilish designs...
Naughty boys. Kabul needs more entertainment I suppose