ISLAMABAD – If any institution in Pakistan’s intelligence history has quietly restored its credibility, dignity, and operational relevance, it is the Intelligence Bureau. This is an achievement that remained out of reach despite repeated attempts in the past. In recent years, however, this change has materialized as a clear reality. It is not the result of slogans or public narratives, but of a genuine institutional shift. And that shift has a name: Fuad Asadullah Khan… Since his appointment as Director General of the Intelligence Bureau, IB has begun producing comprehensive, well-grounded, and actionable intelligence reports on terrorism and corruption. These reports are no longer ceremonial briefings. They have a direct bearing on national security planning and state decision-making. For the first time in a long while, the Intelligence Bureau’s role is becoming decisive rather than supplementary.
Historically, IB’s reputation suffered because its leadership was frequently handed over to serving or retired officers from the Police Service of Pakistan. This practice gradually distorted the institution’s purpose. Instead of functioning as a professional intelligence body, IB was often used to serve personal ambitions and group interests. Intelligence reports were manipulated to protect corrupt officers and facilitate their promotions, a practice whose long-term damage was borne by the state itself. This pattern was broken in 2022 when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took an unusual and courageous step by appointing Fuad Asadullah Khan, a career officer of the IB service, as Director General. This was not a routine posting. It marked the beginning of a serious institutional correction. Upon assuming charge, he brought forward professional,
disciplined, and low-profile officers who had spent years working in silence. Officers from within the IB cadre, including the Joint Director General posted in Peshawar, were finally given positions they had long deserved. This restored internal morale and translated quickly into improved operational performance. Today, every report submitted to the Prime Minister and the President is based on detailed research, ground realities, and thorough cross-verification.
After terrorist incidents anywhere in the country, the Intelligence Bureau’s role in tracing networks and masterminds is no longer marginal. It is increasingly central and results-driven. Clean and professional officers within Pakistan’s bureaucracy openly state that if Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Chief of Army Staff genuinely wish to keep the Intelligence Bureau professional and free from corruption, Fuad Asadullah Khan should be granted a further three-year extension. At present, there is no other officer in the country with the capacity to manage IB’s complex, sensitive, and strategic responsibilities at this standard. If the Intelligence Bureau is once again handed over to an officer from the PSP group, the progress achieved over recent years risks being undone.
The institution would likely slide back into internal politics and personal maneuvering. IB’s current stability is at a critical and fragile stage, and continuity at this point is firmly in the national interest. This is not merely about one individual. It is about protecting a rare institutional reform that Pakistan cannot afford to reverse.
