Parastin

Parastin (Kurdish for protection ) is a government agency and the primary investigative arm belonging to the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq. The organization was first established in 1968 by the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq. It has been sometimes referred to as a "Kurdish intelligence service". The primary function of the agency is investigation of crimes relating to both the internal and external security of the Kurdistan region. The agency officially has no power to arrest or detain but shares intelligence with the Kurdistan intelligence agency, Asayish, which holds jurisdiction over a number of crimes in the region including terrorism.

Although founded and funded by the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq, it officially acts under the command of the Kurdistan Regional Government.