ISLAMABAD: In a significant policy shift, the caretaker government elevated the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to “Division” level, allowing its director general (DG) to take on new responsibilities as division secretary, The News reported on Tuesday.
The Cabinet Division publicly confirmed the bureau’s promotion to division status, which was approved by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar. The notification states that any necessary consequential changes to the Rules of Business, 1973, will be implemented as soon as practicable.
A former IB chief, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the caretaker administration’s policy change as a “hasty decision,” emphasizing that the move should have been made by an elected government rather than the caretaker establishment.
“It doesn’t make any sense that an elected government is in the process of taking charge but the caretaker government is taking such a major policy decision in its last days,” he told reporters.
“The ‘division’ designation will allow the IB’s head to attend cabinet sessions, which was not previously possible while the IB operated as a bureau.
“Previously, the IB chief was invited to brief the federal cabinet as needed, but now, as the agency’s head, he can attend cabinet meetings as an ex-officio member of the division. “This is the only significant reason I see in this policy change,” he continued.
Responding to a question about any changes in the IB’s operations, the former officer responded that the decision won’t make any major change in the functioning of the bureau.
Meanwhile, when asked if the IB’s funds would be audited, as other divisions must, the former bureau chief insisted that the government would not audit the IB’s funds due to the nature of its work.
The IB chief has access to a large amount of money, and in some situations, the DG is not even required to inform the public about the use of these special funds due to ongoing secret activities, he stated.
On the topic of transfers and posts of IB officers being reported in the Gazette of Pakistan, as previously all the transfers and postings were carried out by an office order, the former bureau head stated that the transfers and postings will continue office orders even after the change.
Another former official, however, believes that IB’s funds would need to be scrutinized now that they have been granted division status. He noted that the elected administration, not a caretaker government, should have made the decision on this fundamental policy shift.
“After elevating IB to the status of division, it will become easier for its officials to share intelligence,” he said.
