Can Anyone Control Pakistan’s ISI Spies?

Pakistanis' trust in the country’s intelligence service, the ISI, has been shaken by recent events, but last month reached an all-time low, after the corpse of journalist Saleem Shazad was found with signs of torture. Shazad, the Pakistan bureau chief with Asia Times Online, who had previously been warned by ISI, disappeared shortly after publishing an investigative piece connecting Pakistani naval officials with Al Qaeda operatives. It's not an isolated case. Journalists and political activists have long accused the ISI of an ongoing campaign of intimidation, explains Aamer Ahmed Khan for the BBC News. Targeting the media only weakens ISI and draws a wider net of international attention, eroding a reputation already at a low point. The ISI leadership claims to protect the national interest, and civilian politicians have no control over the spy agency. Khan expresses hope that journalists, high-ranking military officials and politicians join ranks and find the courage to rein in ISI, forcing accountability on an agency that threatens Pakistani security. – YaleGlobal