Home Ministry of Pakistan is allowed to intercept and tape cellular, PTCL and satellite calls of any customer, reported Daily Jang Today, quoting a news item circulated by NNI.
All cellular, satellite, land line and Wireless Local Loop (such as World Call) have granted Home Ministry the direct access to all system through which the ministry can intercept, tape and retrieve any call they want.
Paper says that Home Ministry has also demanded whole record of cellular companies from their CEOs of companies operating in Pakistan.
It merits mentioning that prior this Home Ministry, only the inelegance agencies had the access to voice communication means of Pakistan and Home Ministry had to request intelligence agencies in order to tape any call.
We saw today Mr. Ehsan Iqbal of Pakistan Muslim League (N) in a press conference airing the telephonic recording of Ch. Pervaiz Elahi, former Chief Minister Punjab, and senior member of PML (Q)…Mr. Ahsen alleged Ch. Pervaiz Elahi of preparing a track against PML (N) Leader Mian Nawaz Shareef. Whole Pakistan heard that particular telephonic conversation. I personally don’t know, from where and how Ehsan Iqbal got this telephonic tape…However, this is a point where we should not keep quite, specifically the NGOs and institutes who are working for consumer rights…
I will not bear anyone intercepting into my personal conversation…Privacy abuse is a global concern now, we have seen instances of such abuse even in United States. There is a dire need now, that these governments should stop peeking into personal lives in the names of security and national interests.
