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the very expensive Elbit surveillance equipmentfrom Israel. The ignoring of peoples’ views by thegovernment is a worrying trend.A second disturbing trend that clearly violatesthe principle of integrity of communications andsystems is compelling telecommunications serviceproviders to provide their customers’ records tosecurity agencies. This is under the Bill for an Actto Provide for the Interception, Development andProtection of Communications Networks and Facilitiesfor Public Interest and Other Related Matters,2013. 15At the same time, the impact of social networkingon the government’s actions and activitieshas been rather limited in scope: it was useful inmobilising people for the 2012 fuel protests, and recentlyit was used to force the government to finallyacknowledge the abducted girls (#chibokgirls), althoughthis is beginning to lose traction and threemonths later, the girls have yet to be rescued.An issue that may work in favour of the governmentis access. This was suggested during therecent elections in Ekiti state in which the incumbentgovernor, whose track record of governancewas widely held as a model, lost to a rival who is undercriminal investigations arising from his earliertenure. 16 Social networking sites were overwhelmingin their support for the incumbent, but theresults showed that the reality was far from that.15 Nigeria Communications Week. (2013, October 24). FG pressesforward with controversial wire-tap programme. NigeriaCommunications Week. www.nigeriacommunicationsweek.com.ng/telecom/fg-presses-forward-with-controversial-wire-tapprogramme#sthash.zLPYJ7jY.dpuf16 Channels Television. (2014, June 22). Ekiti election: Fayemiconcedes defeat, congratulates Fayose. Channels Television.www.channelstv.com/2014/06/22/fayemi-concedes-defeatcongratulates-fayoseCould it be that social networking in Nigeria’s mosteducationally advanced state is still not accessibleto the bulk of the population?If this trend continues, the government maysoft pedal on its crackdown on internet freedoms.With the cost of internet access in Nigeria at aboutten times what it costs in a country like the UnitedKingdom, affordable access remains a challengeto the people’s access to relevant information. If itis the government’s intention to operate clandestinelyand without consideration for public opinion,a deliberate effort NOT to create an enabling environmentto facilitate affordable internet access mayjust be all the government needs to do. Advocatingfor increased citizen access to the internet thereforeremains a priority for civil society.With increasing pressure on the governmentas the national elections draw closer, it can beexpected that the views of the people will be ignoredand decisions taken to curtail their freedom,and they will have no recourse to the law for redress.There will therefore be a need to campaignlegislators, policy makers and other stakeholdersto raise the concerns. The new programme beingdeveloped by the Fantsuam Academy on electronicsurveillance as part of its Computer Diploma curriculumis a small effort towards raising morepublic awareness of the gravity of the issue ofmass surveillance.PAKISTANPakistan dominates the surveillance hall of shameBytes for All, PakistanFurhan Hussain and Gul Bukharibytesforall.pkIntroductionNestled in the heart of South Asia, the IslamicRepublic of Pakistan has had an intense historyinvolving multiple wars, the splitting away of itseastern wing, military coups, political insurgency,ethnic cleansing and separatist movements; all inless than seven decades of existence.Many of these afflictions have paved the wayfor the strengthening of institutions such as themilitary, resulting in the civilian system of checksand balances or oversight of these institutionsbecoming non-existent, while human rights violationsby these powerhouses remain as rampant asbefore. Their reach has now also fully extendedto information and communications technologies(ICTs).Policy and political backgroundIn 2013, for the first time in its 66-year history,Pakistan saw a democratic government completeits legitimate tenure of five years, before handingover the reins to another democratically electedgovernment. This change came after a pattern ofshort bursts of democracy, followed by military dictatorships,spanning decades. Be that as it may, themilitary is widely understood to maintain control ofcertain key areas, in particular foreign policy andsecurity. Civilian governments may not trespass onthese areas. Compounding this is the non-accountabilityof the military establishment, with graveimplications for fundamental rights, and a directimpact on communications surveillance. Civiliansubordination and helplessness is epitomised bythe National Commission for Human Rights Act2012, which excludes the armed forces and the intelligenceagencies from the purview of the plannedcommission. 11 FORUM-ASIA. (2013). Pakistan: Delay and uncertainty inestablishing the National Commission for Human Rights. In B.Skanthakumar (Ed.), 2013 ANNI Report on the Performance andEstablishment of National Human Rights Institutions of Asia, p.180. www.forum-asia.org/?p=16848A parliamentarian, upon condition of anonymity,commented that today Pakistan is a securitystate, where a number of authorities, ambitious forcontrol, have thrived unchecked by law. “Some intelligenceagencies in Pakistan are without andbeyond any law,” he said, referring to the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI), the military’spremier spy agency believed to be highly active inillegal surveillance. 2 These sentiments are reflectedin the fact that out of an ever-increasing militarybudget, no breakdown of portions allocated for intelligenceand surveillance agencies is ever madeavailable. 3Today, Pakistan is ranked as one of the mostdangerous countries in the world for human rightsdefenders (HRDs), journalists and minorities, 4who are threatened by acts of discrimination andviolence with impunity by both state and non-stateactors. According to some experts, the actions ofthe state suggest that it is strategically complicit incrimes committed by non-state actors, rather thanbeing a silent onlooker. 5 Meanwhile, the massivesurveillance in place – both online and off – is increasinglyseen as a tool for repression, rather thanmeeting the government’s narrative of protectingcitizens from terrorism.Surveillance in Pakistan is not just limited to thelocal authorities. Last year’s data leaks by whistleblowerEdward Snowden revealed that Pakistan isthe second most spied-on country in the world. 6 Thegovernment of Pakistan determined that the country’ssensitive data was at risk of being stolen bythe United States (US) and decided to address the2 Interviewed by the authors in June 2014.3 Sheikh, I., & Yousaf, K. (2014, June 3). Budget 2014: Govtannounces 700bn defence budget. The Express Tribune. tribune.com.pk/story/716913/budget-2014-defence-budget-increasing-atdiminishing-rate4 Pathak, A. (2014, May 14). PAKISTAN: Human rights defenders inPakistan in need of defence. Asian Human Rights Commission.www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-ART-036-2014;Haider, M. (2014, May 4). Pakistan most dangerous country forjournalists: UN. DAWN.com. www.dawn.com/news/1104120;Hassan, S. (2014, May 5). Pakistan’s Hindus, other minorities facesurge of violence. Reuters. www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/05/us-pakistan-minorities-idUSBREA440SU201405055 Bukhari, G. (2014, May 12). Silent onlooker? No, Sir. The Nation.www.nation.com.pk/columns/12-May-2014/silent-onlooker-no-sir6 CIOL. (2013, June 13). India fifth most snooped country by US,Pakistan second. CIOL. www.ciol.com/ciol/news/190000/indiafifth-snooped-country-us-pakistan184 / Global Information Society Watch Pakistan / 185