May 12, 2003	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 9, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, May 11: The federal government is considering amending the Telegraph Act to improve intelligence surveillance of the crime investigation departments (CIDs) in the country, an official source said on Sunday.

The need for amending the Telegraph Act was felt after the additional inspector general of CID Punjab presented a report to the interior ministry regarding terrorism in the province and pointed out areas of concern.

The IG indicated that terrorism in future would depend upon re-grouping of Jihadi elements and relations with India.

Speaking about the flaws pointed out by the IG, the source said, under the present mechanism, taping telephonic conversation and tracking other digital information was considered a violation of human rights. However, the proposed amendment, he said, aimed at legalizing eavesdropping.

Moreover, the source said, it was pointed out that the record of eavesdropping was not accepted as evidence by the court of law, which too needed to be given a legal shape.

He said the intelligence agencies would shortly be meeting with the communication ministry officials to chalk out a strategy for the changes. He said the police department had been directed to furnish concrete proposals to amend the respective laws. The government believes that at present the CIDs depend upon human intelligence to counter terrorism, but it has been felt that there is a need to benefit from technical intelligence.

The possibility to amend Telegraph Act (through Ministry of Communication) had also been taken up at the inter-provincial conference on law and order held in Islamabad recently.

The CID in the Punjab focused on sectarian terrorism, therefore, sufficient funds and latest equipment had been provided to it. The remaining equipment will also be supplied soon. Whereas, the NWFP government had already been provided with the latest equipment and funds, the source said.

It has also been decided that the funds allocated for the special investigation group will not be given to other organizations.

He said it was being considered to provide financial incentives and training facility, local and foreign, to attract competent personnel from various police and intelligence departments to work in the CIDs. To further improve the working of CIDs, the government is also considering to send young officers abroad for training, the source added.