What’s the recruitment process for becoming an ISI agent?
You have to be in the army first. They do hire some civilians in some specialized departments though, a friend of mine, who was a paying cadet, got hired as an electrical engineer, not really sure what hes doing, hes not allowed to tell.
Yep the army is a pre-req. hmmm what 'qualities' do they look for? Just out of curiosity? i mean, who interviews you for the position ? What do they look for in a person besides that he is a 'fauj ka banda'?
And afterwards, after you leave the ISI, what sort of 'restrictions' are placed on you? i mean say you worked with the ISI for decades. Uss kai baad, does the govt. still keep track of where you live/who you talk to etc?
Just curious-o.
^ I can niether confirm nor deny any statements being made on this topic.
Both civilians and members of the armed forces can join the ISI. For civilians, recruitment is advertised and is jointly handled by the Federal Public Services Commission (Civilian ISI agents are considered employees of the Ministry of Defense). The FPSC conducts an exam testing the candidate's knowledge of current affairs, English and analytical abilities (kind of like the GRE analytical section). Based on the results, the FPSC shorlists candidates and sends the list to the ISI who conduct initial background checks. The selected candidates are then invited for an interview which is conducted by a joint committee comprising both ISI and FPSC officials. After the interview, a more thorough background check is done for granting security clearance followed by medical tests etc. before an offer is made. Recruited agents then go to the Interservices Intelligence School for basic training following which they are employed on an initial one year probationary period.
For the armed forces, officers have to apply for admission into the Inter services Intelligence school. After finishing the intelligence course, they can apply to be posted in Field Intelligence Units or in the directorate of Military/Air/Naval intelligence. Then they wait and hope that thier performance is good enough to be invited to the ISI for a temporary posting. Based on thier performance in the military and the temp posting with ISI, they are then offered a more permanent position.
The ISI members are a very closely knit community. The government cannot afford to keep Tabs on all of its serving and retired members, so they essentially police themselves as far as I know. Hope this helps.
As mufakkar said, recruitment into the ISI, for military personnel, is through voluntary application into a rigorous selection process, just as occurs for joining any special military group.
I don't know who interviews the volunteers, but the logical assumption is that it would be serving ISI officers.
One thing to add s that mufakkar mentioned people being offered a "permanent position", but even that is far from permanent - given the extraordinary power the ISI is entrusted with, the Army ensures senior ISI officers (Majors and above) are not tempted to abuse the power by limiting military assignments in the ISI to no more than 2-3 years, at all ranks. In fact, almost all Director-Generals of the ISI never ever served in the organization before being appointed by the Army commanders to lead it.
Civilian operatives are not allowed to rise above the equivalent of the rank of Major at all.
This makes the ISI unique amongst the intelligence agencies of the world - unlike MI6, Mossad, CIA, etc, it is impossible to have a career in ISI. Once you get promoted high enough to be able to get involved with ISI policy making, you will be removed from the position in about 1000 days.
Needless to say, the ISI has always been headed by officers from the Army, the strongest wing of the armed forces and the second pillar of the Pakistani establishment. “ISI agents” Courageous anonymous
army of Pakistan
Well said above by Muffakar and Maddy it’s pretty much defined and explained but such hiring and qualifying mentioned above may be entertained for lower titles or specific branches as JIX, JIB or JCIB only. Rest branches are solely headed or served by armed forces. I wont say there are not such cases, but there are when a civilian is preferred due to his forefather, family served or currently positioned in Pak Army.
One more area is the technology sector where sudden technology changes brings an opening with skills excelling in particular field or research work, matter of fact Spock’s remarks reg his friend will be typical scenario or similar to applying for civilian too.
Nadia remember that no 1 requirement you should be Pakistani or have background history. Getting clearance for some branches like JIM and JIT or else takes forever, you get into observance for six month to a year or more, depends. Even is not easy for some of their own top ranked officers to get invited or felicitated by ISI.
The ISI is headed by a Director General [DG] of the rank of Lt Gen / Maj Gen; he has hitherto been a serving officer seconded from the Army. The ISI coordinates the functioning of the intelligence directorates of the armed forces and is the sole organization for collection of military and external intelligence. The DG, although under the Ministry of Defence, is also the adviser to the Prime Minister on intelligence matters.
The DG being the Army Chief’s man only disseminates what the Army Chief wants the politicians to know. The Army Chief draws his power from the Army, which has the final say in Pakistan on matters of national security; any political interference or opposition is not countenanced. The plans of the ISI are really the plans of the Pak Army. The ISI is therefore, an organ of the Army, not an organ of the state.
There is Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the ISI. While the IB comes under the Interior Minister, the ISI is part of the Ministry of Defence.
The IB is the oldest dating from Pakistan's creation in 1947. It was formed by the division of the pre-partition IB of British India. Its unsatisfactory military intelligence (MI) performance in the first Indo-Pak war of 1947-48 over Jammu & Kashmir led to the decision in 1948 to create the ISI,
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI] was founded in 1948 by a British army officer, Maj Gen R Cawthome, then Deputy Chief of Staff in Pakistan Army.
Staffed by hundreds of civilian and military officers, and thousands of other workers, the agency's headquarters is located in Islamabad. The ISI reportedly has a total of about 10,000 or more officers and staff members, a number which does not include informants and assets. It is reportedly organized into between six and eight divisions:
JIX is the largest, or that the Joint Intelligence Bureau is the largest with some sixty percent of the total staff.
Joint Intelligence X (JIX): Responsible for administration and accounts. Serves as the secretariat which co-ordinates and provides administrative support to the other ISI wings and field organizations. It also prepares intelligence estimates and threat assessments.
The Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB): responsible for political intelligence, was the most powerful component of the organization during the late 1980s.
The Joint Counter Intelligence Bureau (JCIB): is responsible for field surveillance of Pakistani diplomats stationed abroad, as well as for conducting intelligence operations in the Middle East, South Asia and Afghanistan.
Joint Intelligence / North (JIN): is responsible for Jammu and Kashmir operations, including infiltration, exfilteration, propaganda and other operations. It also controls all opium cultivation and heroin refining and smuggling from Pakistani and Afghan territory.
Joint Intelligence Miscellaneous (JIM): conducts espionage in foreign countries, including offensive intelligence operations. Covert actions in other parts of the world and for the clandestine procurement of nuclear and missile technologies.
The Joint Signal Intelligence Bureau (JSIB): Responsible for all communications intelligence inside Pakistan and abroad. Which includes Deputy Directors for Wireless, Monitoring and Photos, operates a chain of signals intelligence collection stations along the border with India.
Joint Intelligence Technical (JIT): Responsible for the collection of all Technical Intelligence (TECHINT) other than communications intelligence and for research and development in gadgetry. In addition to these main elements, ISI also includes a separate explosives section and a chemical warfare section.
Then there is SSG and the Special Wing: Responsible for all intelligence training in the Armed Forces in the Defence Services Intelligence Academy and for liaison with foreign intelligence and security agencies.
Special Services Group training is the hardest and but I can tell you this in detail if this interest you.
SSG officers must have at least two years of prior military experience and volunteer from other formations for three-year assignments with the SSG; NCO and enlisted men volunteer from other formations to serve permanently in the SSG.
All trainees must participate in an eight-month SSG course. Emphasizing tough physical conditioning. Included is a 36-mile march or more in 12 hours, a grueling requirement that was first institutionalized by 19 Baluch. They are also required to run 5 miles in 40 minutes with full gear, fully loaded. Following the SSG course, trainees must volunteer for Airborne School. The course last four weeks, with wings awarded after seven (five day, two night) jumps. None SSG airborne students only have to complete a five-day jump.
Many are selected for additional specialist training. A course is given at Peshawar with a 'skydiver' tab awarded after 5 freefall jumps. A "Mountain Warfare" qualification badge is given after completing a course at the Mountain Warfare School in Abbotabad; and a "Combat Diver" badge is awarded awarded for the course held by the Naval Special Services Group SSGN at Karachi. Three classes of combat swimmers were recognized: 1st class to those completing an 18-mile or more swim in designated time period; 2nd class to those finishing a 12-mile swim; and 3rd class for a 6-mile swim.
SSG regularly sends students to the US for special warfare and airborne training. Later on due to Siachen crisis, a Snow and High Altitude Warfare School was also established.
Nadia, Its not easy and exciting as portrayed in movies and books, would agree with Muffakir and there are not any tabs for lower grade agents but certainly there are restrictions for high rank officers they remain under observerence under a time period, and in some cases you have to acknowledge of your presence, you may be call back or pull back as reserves at the time of emergency from any part.
There are cases where if you were too involved or part of secret, and you retired today may not be allowed to leave the country until further instructions or permissions granted, because you may be carrying vital information and this will remain in act and until information gets obsolete and you too.
There is lot to write for those anonymous ISI agents, who serves and disappears with time, with no recognition, no name or history, everything remains secret sealed forever in the file. I think I should take a pause here!
Salute to Pak Army.
Regards,
YKKB.
I dont know about restrictions after you retire, but ISI does monitor its former officers and current and retired military officers who at one point or another held sensitive postions and had access to classified data. Dont ask me how i know this 
YKKB: dude you gave way too much info than necessary, some of it is classified. There are RAW and other agents here as well. :Pagri:
Watch out for adds in daily jung for recruitment in some progressive public company...subject to rigourous tests interviews/secutiy clearence....etc etc..and reply to P O box ----
Assalaamu Alaikum,
All - thank you for the very detailed, informative, interesting replies. i really appreciate it. Thank you.
i read this thread at least three times to make sure i absorbed every bit of info re: the replies. Thank you all.
i wasn't asking because i was interested in applying.
Especially subsequent to reading how regulated it is vis-a-vis what sort of restrictions are placed upon one who is in that position, i don't think it is something that would make me happy. i am too loud-mouthed and opinionated and would definitely get into trouble constantly with my superiors. What will work for me, probably, will be my pennies-per-year with some non-governmental organization :D Least i can still mouth off without upsetting individuals in influential positions.
Thank you all.
YKKB wow 
:k: