Taking on the agencies

Much disturbance to our democratic system has been caused over the past decades by actions planned by the agencies.

Never before in our history have the intelligence agencies come under so much pressure. These bodies have for years been seen as lying beyond the hold of any other institution — acting as a State within a State with no one willing or able to control what they do. Now, for the first time, we have seen the courts speak out against the ISI and the MI, demanding explanations for their actions in Balochistan and other places. The prime minister, too, reacted earlier this year and now, in what could prove to be a vital development, the National Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution demanding that a law be formulated to bring the agencies under control and ensure that they cannot act on their own. The agencies are widely thought to be responsible for the ‘picking up’ of people and for intervening in national events.

What is also significant is that the two major parties in the country have acted together to move the unanimous resolution — which was tabled by the PML-N, but passed with the full support of the PPP. The ruling party also facilitated highlighting the matter on the last day of the current National Assembly schedule, though it was not part of the initial agenda. A bipartisan committee is to be set up to determine the details and decide how to proceed, with equal representation from the PPP and the PML-N.

We could be witnessing a truly historical moment. Much disturbance to our democratic system has been caused over the past decades by actions planned and manipulated by the agencies. The parliamentary will to break free of this may be a key step into a new era. We must hope this is indeed the case, and that we can move into an age where the elected leaders of the country make the most important decisions rather than outfits which follow an agenda.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2012.