A case has been filed in the Lahore High Court contesting the right of sensitive institutions to monitor phones. A government notification that allows sensitive authorities to tap phones is being contested by a citizen, Fahad Shabbir, who is being represented by barrister Nadeem Sarwar.
The federal government, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, and the prime minister are among the parties listed as respondents in the petition. Concerns about privacy are greatly raised by the petition, which claims that a notification enables sensitive institutions to monitor the phones of personnel.
In his suit, Fahad Shabbir claims that the legislation that allowed for the issuance of the notification has not yet been formalized into regulations. Per the petitioner, citizens’ rights to privacy and freedom of expression are guaranteed under the Constitution. It is claimed that the government is violating these constitutional rights by allowing phone tapping without explicit regulatory frameworks.
The petition claims that phone tapping is an infringement on fundamental rights, citing a decision made by the Indian Supreme Court. “According to the Indian Supreme Court also, tapping people’s phones is a violation of the Constitution,” the petition argued.
In order to await a ruling on the current application, the petitioner has asked the court to declare the government’s notification to be unlawful and to halt any further actions over it.
In contrast, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has stated unequivocally that security forces should be able to tap phones, stressing how important this is to the ongoing fight against terrorism. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, particularly party head Omer Ayub, criticized and engaged in contentious arguments following Asif’s statements.
The significance of phone tapping for national security was emphasized by Khawaja Asif in an interview with a foreign media source. “Terrorism is the enemy that we fight. Given the circumstances, I will be in favor of phone tapping,” he said.
Noting that the phone tapping matter is presently being handled through the legal system, he further urged that everyone support the measure. “Phone tapping is necessary for national security,” he asserted.
By highlighting the PTI’s erratic position on the issue, the defense minister also rejected the party’s concerns as hypocritical.
Every action, whether legal or illegal, seemed acceptable to Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Taliban, when he was on good terms with the authorities.” Asif said, “The same thing is hateful to his followers today.”
