The ISI was founded in 1948 to facilitate intelligence gathering and sharing between the three main sections of the armed forces: the army, navy and air force. There are other military and civilian intelligence agencies too, but the ISI is undoubtedly the most powerful and the most politicised among them. The exact number of people who work for it is not known but estimates suggest it has at least 25,000 employees. Another 30,000 serve as informants and in other related roles.Inter-Services Intelligence – Pakistan Intelligence (ISI), also known as Inter-services Intelligence, ISl is an active group formed c. 1948.[1] ISI Pakistan
Title | Description |
---|---|
Details | |
Abbreviation: | ISI |
Name: | Inter-Services Intelligence (I.S.I) |
In Urdu: | انٹر سروسز انٹیلی جنس |
Motto: | Defence of Pakistan |
Founded: | 1948 |
Website: | https://www.ispr.gov.pk/ |
Agency overview | |
Formed: | 1948 by General Robert Cawthome |
Headquarters: | Islamabad, Pakistan |
Employees: | 25,000 |
Jurisdictional Structure | |
Legal Jurisdiction: | Government of Pakistan |
General Nature: | Intelligence Bureau |
Operational Structure | |
Overviewed By: | General Director |
Headquarters: | Islamabad, Pakistan |
Executive: | Aftab Sultan |
Ranking In World: | ISI 1st Rank in World |
Recruitment and Training: | Civilians and Members of The Armed Forces |
Structure of ISI: | Joint Intelligence X: JIX, Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB), Joint Counter Intelligence Bureau (JCIB), Joint Intelligence/North (JIN), Joint Intelligence Miscellaneous (JIM), Joint Signal Intelligence Bureau (JSIB) and Joint Intelligence Technical (JIT) |
Three Main Intelligence Services: | Intelligence Bureau (IB), Military Intelligence (MI) and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) |
Main Sections: | Army, Navy and Air Force |
Overview Of Intelligence Services
Pakistan has three main intelligence services, Intelligence Bureau (IB), Military Intelligence (MI) & Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The common goal of these agencies is to look after interests and preserve national security of Pakistan on both external and internal fronts.[2] Overview Of Intelligence Services
Intelligence Bureau IB
Primary job of Intelligence Bureau (IB) is to monitor politicians, political activists, suspected terrorists, and suspected foreign intelligence agents. The IB keeps tabs on political operatives from countries it considers hostile to Pakistan’s interests. Intelligence Bureau (IB) is headed by Director General Intelligence Bureau and is part of the Interior Ministry of Pakistan. IB reports directly to the Prime Minister’s office.
Military Intelligence MI
Military intelligence is tasked with counterinsurgency operations, identifying and eliminating sleeper cells, foreign agents and other anti Pakistani elements within Pakistan. Additional functions involve monitoring high level military and political leaders and safe guarding critical facilities such as military and non-military installations. MI also has limited external role as well.
Inter-Services Intelligence ISI
ISI is one of the best and very well organized intelligence agency in the world. It was founded in 1948. In 1950 it was officially given the task to safe guard Pakistani interests and national security inside and outside the country.
The ISI is tasked with collection of of foreign and domestic intelligence; co-ordination of intelligence functions of the three military services; surveillance over its cadre, foreigners, the media, politically active segments of Pakistani society, diplomats of other countries accredited to Pakistan and Pakistani diplomats serving outside the country; the interception and monitoring of communications; and the conduct of covert offensive and wartime operations.
Inter-Services Intelligence ISI Pakistan
ISI is one of the best and very well organized intelligence agency in the world. It was founded in 1948. In 1950 it was officially given the task to safe guard Pakistani interests and national security inside and outside the country.Its primery objectives are not only to safeguard Pakistani interests, but also, reinforcing Pakistan power base in the region.[3] Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)
ISI Tasked
The ISI is tasked with collection of of foreign and domestic intelligence; co-ordination of intelligence functions of the three military services; surveillance over its cadre, foreigners, the media, politically active segments of Pakistani society, diplomats of other countries accredited to Pakistan and Pakistani diplomats serving outside the country; the interception and monitoring of communications; and the conduct of covert offensive and wartime operations. Functions of the ISI include gathering foreign and domestic intelligence and synchronizing the intelligence of the military services. The agency maintains surveillance of foreign diplomats in Pakistan, Pakistani diplomats abroad, and politically active members of Pakistani society. It monitors its own staff, the media and foreigners. It tracks and intercepts communications and engages in covert offensive operations.
ISI Headquartered
ISI is headquartered in Islamabad and works under a Director General, a serving Lieutenant General of the Pakistan Army. There are three Deputy Director Generals-designated DDG (Political), DDG (External) and DDG (General). The ISI is staffed mainly by personnel deputed from the police, para-military forces and some specialized units of the Army. There are over 25,000 active men on its staff. This figure does not include informants and assets. It is organized into six to eight divisions .[4] ISI Headquartered
Structure of ISI
Joint Intelligence X JIX
It serves as the secretariat which co-ordinates and provides administrative support to the other ISI wings and field organizations. It also prepares intelligence estimates and threat assessments.It provides administrative support to the other major divisions and regional organizations of the ISI.
Joint Intelligence Bureau JIB
One of the largest and most powerful divisions of the ISI, monitors political intelligence.The JIB consists of three subsections, with one subsection devoted to operations involving India, other operations involve, anti-terrorism and VIP security.
Joint Counter Intelligence Bureau JCIB
Responsible for oversees intelligence operations in Central Asia South Asia, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Israel and Russia also responsible for field surveillance of Pakistani diplomats stationed abroad, if need be monitoring foreign diplomats as well .
Joint IntelligenceNorth JIN
Conduct ISI operations for Jammu and Kashmir , including monitoring Indian forces deployed within disputed Kashmir forcefully held by India.
Joint Intelligence Miscellaneous JIM
Responsible for covert offensive intelligence operations and war time espionage.
Joint Signal Intelligence Bureau JSIB
It includes Deputy Directors for Wireless, Monitoring and Photos, operates a chain of signals intelligence collection stations, and provide communication support to its operatives. It aslo collects Intelligence through monitoring of communications channels of neighboring countries.It has a chain of stations that track and collect intelligence signals along the Indo-Pakistani border, and it provides communications assistance for freedom campaigns in Kashmir.A sizeable number of the staff is from the Army Signal Corps. It is believed that it has its units deployed in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar.
Joint Intelligence Technical JIT
Not much is know about this section however it is believed that JIT include a separate explosives section and a chemical warfare section.
The ISI maintains one more primary sections in addition to the seven outlined above that is the Joint Intelligence Technical division.
At first, the ISI focused primarily on domestic espionage, such as tapping telephone conversations and monitoring internal political affairs. Because of its narrow scope, it was reportedly unable to locate an Indian armored division during the Indo-Pakistani War in 1965. When the war was over, Ayub appointed General Yahya Khan to chair a committee to evaluate the ISI and its subdivisions . From 1983 to 1997, the ISI reportedly trained over 80,000 Afghan Mujahideen for campaigns in Afghanistan. During the 1990s, the ISI grew into a powerful and questionable organization. It is said to function as an invisible government and is frequently called state within a state .On September 2001, President Musharraf appointed a new Director General for ISI, Lieutenant General Ehsanul Haq.[5] Structure of ISI
Organization
The concept was idolized by then Lieutenant-Colonel Shahid Hamid in 14 July 1948. Later, he was promoted to 2-star rank of Major-General and was appointed as Director-General of the Military Intelligence by Major-General (retired) Sikandar Mirza who was the Defense Secretary that time. He was asked to set up the organization and did so with help from Major-General Robert “Bill” Cawthome- the then Deputy Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Army. As this was an Inter Services Organization, the staff consisted of officers of all three services and civilians recruited through Public Service Commission. Major-General Cawthorne was the brain behind the modern state of the ISI, who served its first Director-general from 1950 till 1959. Lieutenant Colonel Sahibzada Yaqub Ali Khan (Later 3 star general and Foreign Minister Pakistan) served in ISI as GSO-1.
The original ISI building was in Karachi on the Junction of Abdullah Haroon Road (Old Victoria Street) and Hidayatullah Road, diagonally opposite Zainab Market. Although he was requested to stay on, and was promised promotion to Major General Hamid in his job as DG ISI. Hamid he decided to leave as he wished to serve in the regular Army. He left 20 June-1950 to command 100 Brigade in Peshawar, looking after the Khayber Pass and Landi Kotal. Major-General Cawthorne was given the command of the agency, and played a vital role in ISI’s modern form as of today.[6] ISI Organization
Director-Generals
Director General | Tenure |
---|---|
Syed Shahid Hamid | 1948–1950 |
Robert Cawthorne | 1950–1959 |
Riaz Hussain | 1959-1966 |
Mohammad Akbar Khan | 1966–1971 |
Ghulam Jilani Khan | 1971–1977 |
Muhammad Riaz | 1977–1979 |
Akhtar Abdur Rahman | 1979–1987 |
Hameed Gul | 1987–1989 |
Shamsur Rahman Kallu | 1989–1990 |
Asad Durrani | 1990–1992 |
Javed Nasir | 1992–1993 |
Javed Ashraf Qazi | 1993–1995 |
Naseem Rana | 1998–1999 |
Ziauddin Butt | 1998–1999 |
Mahmud Ahmed | 1999–2001 |
Ehsan ul Haq | 2001–2004 |
Ahmad Shuja Pasha | 2008–2012 |
Zaheerul Islam | 2012–2014 |
Rizwan Akhtar | 2014–2016 |
Naveed Mukhtar | 2016-Present |
Recruitment and training
Both civilians and members of the armed forces can join the ISI. For civilians, recruitment is advertised and is jointly handled by the Federal Public Services Commission (FPSC) and civilian ISI agents are considered employees of the Ministry of Defence. The FPSC conducts various examinations testing the candidate’s knowledge of current affairs, English and various analytical abilities. Based on the results, the FPSC shortlists the candidates and sends the list to the ISI who conduct the initial background checks. The selected candidates are then invited for an interview which is conducted by a joint committee comprising both ISI and FPSC officials, then the selected persons are sent to Defence Services intelligence Academy (DSIA) for further training of 06 months. Later these officers are transferred to different Sections for open source information where they serve for five years. Officers after five years of basic service are entrusted with sensitive jobs and declared the core team of ISI.[7] Recruitment and training
bISIb Best Intelligence Agencies In The World
The Directorate General for Inter-Services, known as Intelligence Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) performs its responsibilities as critical national security and intelligence measurement to the Government of Pakistan. Due to its praiseworthy but daring acts against terrorism all around the world as well in own nations, attains top place among best intelligence agencies in the world. ISI was created by an Australian-born British Army general officer in 1948, who served Pakistani military from 1950 to 1959. ISI topped in list the top intelligence agency in the world in 2011, published by International Business Times United Kingdom.[8] (ISI) Best Intelligence Agencies In The World
Top 10 Best Intelligence Agencies In The World 2017
Rank | Intelligence Agency Names | Country |
---|---|---|
1 | ISI – Inter-Service Intelligence | Pakistan |
2 | CIA-Central Intelligence Agency | United States |
3 | M16-Military Intelligence Section 6 | United Kingdom |
4 | FSB-Federal Security Bureau of Russian Federation | Russia |
5 | BND- Bundesnachrichtendienst | Germany |
6 | RAW-Research and Analysis Wing | India |
7 | DGSE- Direction Generale De La Securite Exterieure | France |
8 | ASIS- Australian Secret Intelligence Service | Australia |
9 | MSS- Ministry of State Security | China |
10 | Mossad-The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operation | Israel |
Pakistan Army launches bOperation Radd-ul-Fasaadb across the country
Pakistan Army on Wednesday launched ‘Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad’ across the country, Inter-Services Public Relations, the army’s media wing, said in a statement.
Radd-ul-Fasaad — which translates roughly to ‘elimination of discord’ — will aim at indiscriminately eliminating the “residual/latent threat of terrorism”, consolidating the gains made in other military operations, and further ensuring the security of Pakistan’s borders, read the statement.
Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Civil Armed Forces (CAF) and other security and law enforcing agencies (LEAs) will actively participate in and ‘intimately support’ the armed forces’ efforts to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country, the statement added.[9] Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad
Join ISI – Inter Services Intelligence
Both civilians and members of the armed forces can join the ISI. For civilians, recruitment is advertised and is jointly handled by the Federal Public Services Commission (FPSC) and civilian ISI agents are considered employees of the Ministry of Defence. The FPSC conducts various examinations testing the candidate’s knowledge of current affairs, English and various analytical abilities. Based on the results, the FPSC shortlists the candidates and sends the list to the ISI who conduct the initial background checks. The selected candidates are then invited for an interview which is conducted by a joint committee comprising both ISI and FPSC officials.[10] Join ISI – Inter Services Intelligence