Pakistan has authorised its spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to intercept and trace calls in the “interest of national security”, Aaj News reported on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication in a notification said that the authorisation was granted under Section 54 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act, 1996.

“The federal government in the interest of national security and in the apprehension of any offence, is pleased to authorise the officers not below the rank of grade 18 to be nominated from time to time by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to intercept calls and messages or to trace calls through any telecommunication system as envisaged under Section 54 of the Act,” the notification said.

While hearing a petition filed by former PM Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, who was seeking action against a leaked conversation, allegedly featuring her and PTI leader Latif Khosa, the Islamabad High Court’s Justice Babar Sattar was informed that the government had not permitted any intelligence agency to tap audio conversations.

The judge had stated that the government is responsible for the surveillance of its citizens and emphasised the importance of a balance between freedom of expression and the matter of privacy.