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| A shopping mall official uses a thermal scanner to check the temperature of shoppers before they enter the Centaurus Mall. (Photo Source: AFP) |
Pakistan intelligence agency (ISI) is employing tracking technology used to locate terrorist groups to monitor coronavirus cases around the country.
In a publicly utilized program by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government has turned to the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI) to help fight the virus, which is still growing rapidly across Pakistan. Is spreading
Details of the plan were not released, but two officials said intelligence services were using geo-fencing and phone monitoring systems that typically work to find high-value targets, including domestic and foreign militants. Are
Lack of awareness, stigma, and fear has helped some people with symptoms such as not seeking treatment or even having to flee hospitals, while others who have been exposed to the virus have found themselves The principle of isolation is violated.
A senior security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the agencies had now used the technology "quite effectively" to track coronavirus cases.
'The government has also been able to track down those who had a positive experience but went into hiding,' the security official said.
'Geo-fencing' is an authorized tracking system used by various intelligence agencies that alerts authorities when someone leaves a specific geographic region, which has helped authorities track different areas around the country during the pandemic.
Authorities are also listening to calls from Coved 19 patients to see if their contacts are talking about symptoms.
'The tracing and tracking system primarily helps us keep in touch with corona patients mobile phones, as well as anyone they contact after their disappearance,' said an intelligence official.
Khan recently praised the program, which has faced little public debate or scrutiny over its use in the fight against the virus.
'Earlier it was used against terrorism, but now it has proved effective against the coronavirus,' he said.
About 60,000 people in Pakistan have tested positive for the disease and more than 1,200 patients have died.
But with investigations still limited, officials are concerned that the actual number is too high.
Pakistan's intelligence services and military wield considerable influence over many aspects of cultural and political life, with the United States and India accusing Islamabad of backing insurgents fighting in Kashmir and Afghanistan.
Rights groups fear that authorities may misuse their clear oversight powers to track down political dissent.
Leading rights activist and former senator Afrasiab Khattak told AFP that the inclusion of the ISI would spread unnecessary panic among the population.
'The task of locating and tracing patients and suspected cases must be handled by provincial governments and local communities let the intelligence agencies do their real work,' he said.
Countries around the world have used track and trace methods to control the spread of the virus, raising privacy concerns.
Israel's intelligence services have been using anti-terrorism technology, including cell phone tracking, to signal privacy concerns to the Supreme Court.
In Pakistan, authorities struggled to come up with an integrated national strategy to control the coronavirus. Khan refrained from insisting on closing the locks, arguing that the country could not afford it.
He also largely resisted pressure from Pakistan's powerful religious lobby, which backed down from closing mosques.
Many Pakistanis have simply ignored provincial lockdown orders, and Khan has allowed businesses to reopen in stages, with an economic impact on daily wage earners.
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