Pakistan spymaster wants no coverage in media

Pakistan's spymaster Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum has urged authorities not to release to media organisations photographs and video footage of him at official meetings.

Pakistan's spymaster Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum has urged authorities not to release to media organisations photographs and video footage of him at official meetings. Lt Anjum was appointed as the Director-General of ISI in October after a political slugfest between the civilian and military leadership in the country.

Pakistan's National Security Committee (NSC), the highest forum for coordination on security issues, approved its first-ever National Security Policy on Monday. The top-level meeting was also attended by the DG ISI. However, the Pakistani government did not release any of his pictures or video footage.

A Pakistan federal minister told The News International that this was done due to a standing instruction for all concerned from the incumbent DG ISI not to release any of his pictures or video footage of any official meeting that he attends. For the same reason, ever since his appointment as the DG ISI, none of his pictures or video footages have been released to the media, the minister added.

According to a retired Pak officer, the basic principle of intelligence services is to stay away from the media's eye. Pak's Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib, said there have been violations of the principle in the past and a number of times the governments had been releasing to the media picture and video footage of the intelligence chiefs.

Earlier on Monday, Pakistan's NSC had approved its first-ever National Security Policy, which covers all internal and external security aspects, including the situation in Afghanistan and its impact on the neighbourhood. Pakistan National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf, during the 36th NSC meeting, highlighted that the country was shifting to a comprehensive national security framework while the ultimate purpose of national security was to ensure the safety and security of citizens, Dawn newspaper reported. (ANI)