ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government on Monday fulfilled a longstanding demand of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) by granting it the status of a full-fledge division thus allowing it complete financial autonomy.

The decision was taken by the Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, following which a notification was issued to elevate the IB as a division.

According to the notification, the IB director general will be the ex-officio secretary to the division. The IB division will work directly under the prime minister with its office to be established in the cabinet division.

It is believed that the decision will also end interference of other departments and individuals in IB’s working.

A senior official of the PM Office told Dawn that the IB earlier worked under the cabinet division and faced multiple problems especially in financial and administrative matters.

In the past, the funds were given to the IB through cabinet division and the bureau could not spend anything without its sanction from the finance division.

Before the latest move, the secretary of the cabinet division had been notified as the principal accounting officer for the IB by the government and all expenditures of the bureau were scrutinised by the financial adviser of the cabinet division.

With the PM’s decision, the official added, the IB with its separate division could seek funds directly from the prime minister and get directly from him.

Similarly, the bureau has been empowered to take its own decision regarding transfer, posting and promotion of his officials.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2024