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powerful inter-services intelligence (ISI) had spread its tentacles
throughout the political landscape during the past three decades.

A Pakistani intelligence official said closing the unit, which was
suspected of manipulating electoral results and keeping tabs on the
personal lives of politicians, using their embarrassing misdemeanours
to ensure they toe the line, gave "fuller authority to the government
to lead from the front".

Abida Hussain, a leader of the ruling Pakistan People's party (PPP)
and former ambassador to the US, said: "The ISI should only focus on
the 'war on terror' rather than undertaking a periodic dirty tricks
campaign to reward or punish politicians who either toed their agenda
or fell out of line. Why should an intelligence agency which was
established to watch for threats from foreign sources become so
acutely involved in our domestic politics?"

The ISI's power ballooned following the 1977 military takeover by
General Zia ul- Haq. The late dictator used it to demolish political
opposition, notably the PPP, which was first led by Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto, the late prime minister, and subsequently by his daughter,
Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in December 2007, two weeks
before a scheduled general election.

The ISI also became notorious for overseeing the rise of armed groups
dedicated to jihad in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the
Indian-administered state of Kashmir.

Under General Zia the agency received support from the US, which
viewed it as a network to manage the flow of arms to Islamic groups in
Afghanistan that were resisting Soviet occupation in the 1980s.

Pakistan's civilian governments, particularly that of Nawaz Sharif,
the former prime minister, also found uses for the ISI. "Even civilian
rulers have tried to take control of the ISI because everyone was
looking for a short cut to curb their opponents," said a retired
official from the agency.

To the dismay of Afghanistan, India and the US, the ISI continued to
promote jihad after Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan.

Criticism increased after the September 2001 terrorist attacks on New
York and Washington forced Pakistan to join the US-led coalition
against terrorism. The ISI was seen as a doubled-edged sword that
executed some anti-terrorism operations but refused to curb fully the
activities of Islamic hardliners. A senior US official said shortly
after the government was elected in August that one of its first
priorities was to rein in the ISI.

"The ISI was one body, seen as part of the problem and also the
solution at the same time," said a western diplomat in Islamabad.

Human rights activists said the government needed to take further
measures to "defang" the intelligence service and protect the fragile
democracy.

Tasneem Noorani, a for=ADmer senior bureaucrat, said closing the ISI's
political wing had not diminished the risk of military coups.

"The military doesn't need a political cell in the ISI to take over
[the country]. The political cell was required to manipulate the
situation from behind the scenes. What is essential is that the
government takes charge of the country," said Mr Noorani.