Lt Gen Ahmed Pasha, chief of ISI
(Photo from AP)
Someone has passed on to us an article from the New York Times about the activities of the ISI, Pakistan's intelligence service, around the world, keeping 'tabs' (read 'intimidating') Pakistani people in the 'Diaspora' around the world, particularly journalists and human rights activists. They tend to appear at any meeting where Pakistan and it's military and similar activities especially re human rights, Balochistan etc are on the agenda for discussion. Sometimes they simply appear and identify themselves to their victims ISI. The article is, naturally, focusing on the US, where an ISI agent (quietly removed from the States) even masqueraded as an FBI agent to get information from targets. Journalists report that Pakistani officials, sometimes openly saying they are ISI, caution them about speaking on sensitive subjects, often with veiled threats about the well-being of family members back home in Pakistan.
Wilson of the BPCA has first hand experience of these kind of tactics. Wilson's wife was questioned for 2 days in Pakistan about his activities by the ISI at her parents house. In addition, ISI agents along with a local Mullah repeatedly visited and 'interviewed' his in-laws in the lead up to last month's march where it was made quite clear his activities are being monitored. In addition, he was told by someone at the embassy that the ISI were watching the demonstrations.
He also has his suspicions about a gentleman who visited him claiming to be a Pakistani Christian based in America writing his thesis about the BPCA, but also asked questions about his business. However, a friend questioned him later, and found he had practically no knowledge of the Christian faith, and this man apparently also told another member of the Pakistani Christian community that he was not a Christian.
The plot thickens, as they say.....
