PM Imran Khan orders new intel gathering cell, sends Pak bureacracy into tizzy

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 27 (ANI): Pakistan bureaucracy has been gripped in fear after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ordered the formation of a body to gather intelligence related to law enforcement, according to local media reports.

Khan has ordered the setting up of a new body the National Crisis Information Management Cell (NCIMC) to be headed by a BS-21 officer, under the Ministry of Interior. One officer each of BS-20 from ISI, IB, Directorate General Military Operations, provincial home departments, police and Ministry of Information will form part of the new body, Pakistan’s The News said.

Pakistan bureaucracy officials are in fear as they believe that NCIMC has some unwritten assignments that include keeping an eye on officers, their report preparation and submission to the prime minister. Officials are also apprehended that the promotion to BS-22 — the highest grade of civil servants in Pakistan — has been stalled pending a report from NCIMC of the promotion candidates, according to The News.

The formation of the new body is an attempt to revive the Musharraf government’s National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC). The cell used to collect the intelligence from spy agencies and provinces related to the terrorism, The News quoted an interior ministry official as saying.

NCMC has been revived with the new name NCIMC.

The Musharraf era NCMC became almost non-operational and didn’t have any head for some time.

NCMC was monitoring the media and reporting to the top officials instead of coordinating with law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Officers are already afraid of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and if NCIMC starts functioning properly it will scare bureaucrats further, reported The News. (ANI)