Pakistan dismantled major foreign spy network, say local media reports

Islamabad, Feb 1: Local media in Pakistan have reported that an "international spying network" on its soil has been dismantled in the wake of arrests at least five intelligence officials who were in action to serve foreign interests. As per Pakistani daily 'The News International', the arrests were made earlier this week by the Federal Investigation Agency, the country's primary counter-intelligence body.

The arrested members allegedly belonged to Pakistan's intelligence and security branches, it was reported. The arrested reportedly included a Pakistani official with diplomatic credentials and serving in a Pakistani embassy "in a European capital", Intel News cited.

The report though did not specify the foreign intelligence agency for which the officials were allegedly working but said that it belonged to one of "the world's most powerful countries".

"It added that the network had been "completely dismantled" following a counterintelligence operation that an unnamed source described to the paper as "remarkable".

As a result, the adversary spy network in Pakistan had been "crippled [...] completely", added The News International," said Intel News.

The paper, which supports the country's current prime minister, Imran Khan, also indicated that the alleged spy network might have been working for the CIA, the US's external intelligence body.

It was reported that the agency that was involved in running the spy network had been allowed by Islamabad to "roam free" inside the country after the 9/11 attacks in the US.

Its officers were also reportedly allowed to recruit agents in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas. It said PM Khan decided to stop the foreign intelligence agency from running spy networks after it decided that these networks were not working to serve Pakistan's interests.