Intelligence Bureau (Pakistan)

Intelligence Bureau (IB) is part of the Ministry of Interior of Pakistan. IB is Pakistan's main domestic intelligence and espionage agency. IB's tasks include counter-intelligence and Internal Security matters; under the latter heading, this translates into responsibilities in many area.

Powers

Although the agency has no formal arrest powers, suspects are often arrested and detained by law enforcement at the request of IB officials. In 1996, the IB was granted control of government censorship programs, controlling information dissemination via mail, wire, or electronic medium. Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Shoaib Suddle has been appointed the new director general of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), according to a notification issued on Saturday. Suddle, the former National Police Bureau (NPB) director general, was promoted to Grade-22 and appointed Sindh IGP on April 13. He will take charge of his new position on Sunday. Suddle joined the Police Department on April 17, 1973. He did his Masters in Physics and Bachelors of Law from the University of Punjab. He completed his Masters in Criminology from the University of Wales and proceeded to do his doctorate in Criminology in 1988.http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Karachi/29-Jun-2008/Shoaib-Suddle-appointed-as-new-IB-DG.On June 19th 2008 Shah Mehboob Alam, a senior officer of BS-21, has joined as Director General, Office of the Advisor to the Prime Minister (PM) on National Security, at the PM Secretariat. Alam is the senior-most officer of Intelligence Bureau (IB), whose last posting was as Minister, Pakistan High Commission in United Kingdom (UK).http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42272&Itemid=2

History

The existence of IB predates the creation of Pakistan, as it was a part of the pre-war Intelligence Bureau of British India, and the present day IB was created from elements given to Pakistan upon independence. It was initially the main Pakistani Agency, with responsibility for strategic and foreign intelligence, as well as counter-espionage and domestic affairs. Its performance in the 1948 war was however considered less than exemplaryref because the pre-independence Bureau was concerned with internal security matters, and was not set up for such its new remit. As a result after the war a new agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was created, and it took over the strategic and foreign intelligence roles.This is the supreme agency in pakistan.

Sources

Books

*Jaffrelot, Christophe. "A History of Pakistan and Its Origins". Translated by Gillian Beaumont. New York: Anthem Press, 2002.
*Jones, Owen Bennett. "Pakistan: Eye of the Storm." New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2002.
*Ziring, Lawrence. "Pakistan in the Twentieth Century: A Political History." Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Periodicals

*Gauhar, Altaf. "How Intelligence Agencies Run Our Politics". "The Nation". September 1997: 4.

References

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6217332.stm Intelligence Bureau (IB) Joint director Zafarullah Khan saves an Agent]
* [http://www.pakistanidefence.com/Info/Intelligence.html Pakistani Defence Overview of Intelligence]
* [http://www.dawn.com/2004/02/26/top8.htm Brig (retd) Ejaz Shah]
* [http://www.dawn.com/2002/05/11/nat24.htm Maj (retd) Masood Sharif Khattak ]