Pakistan government grants financial autonomy to its Intelligence Bureau

Pakistan’s caretaker government has fulfilled a longstanding demand of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) by granting it the status of a full-fledged division, thus allowing it complete financial autonomy, according to media reports on Tuesday. The decision was taken by Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday, the reports said.

“The IB division will work directly under the prime minister with its office to be established in the cabinet division,” according to a notification.

The IB director general will be the ex-officio secretary to the division, the Dawn newspaper reported quoting the notification.

“The IB earlier worked under the cabinet division and faced multiple problems, especially in financial and administrative matters. It is believed that the decision will also end interference of other departments and individuals in IB’s working,” it said quoting a senior official of the PM Office.

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

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

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