In an effort to consolidate its grip on internal security affairs, the Pakistan government on Tuesday carried out a major revamp of the country's intelligence agencies, transferring the political wing of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence to the civilian Intelligence Bureau.
As part of the revamp, carried out by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in consultation with Pakistan's People Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, the intelligence agencies would no longer be required to send secret reports to President Pervez Musharraf, The Dawn News channel reported.
The purpose of the exercise was to consolidate the new civilian government's grip on internal security affairs, the channel quoted official sources as saying.
The political wing of the Inter Services Intelligence was shifted to the Intelligence Bureau, headed by Wing Commander (retired) Tariq Lodhi, a close confidant of Zardari, the report said.
Lodhi was made chief of the Intelligence Bureau last month, after Ijaz Shah was removed from the post.
Dawn News also quoted sources in the presidency as saying that Musharraf was no longer receiving fortnightly reports from the ISI and Military Intelligence.
Earlier, the agencies used to send secret reports on international and domestic affairs to the President, the sources said.
Under the new set-up, the ISI, Intelligence Bureau and other civilian intelligence agencies will report to the Prime Minister while the Military Intelligence will report to army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the sources said.