Special unit to replace army in insurgency-hit areas. PHOTO: FILE
The Centre for Peace and Security Studies (CPSS) has proposed changes in the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NCTS) and sent its draft proposals to the premier and the interior minister, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The proposed strategy revolves around 4Ts — trace, trail, tackle and transform — which were missing in the previous approaches.
The previous PPP-led government adopted the 3D strategy— development, dialogue and deterrence—which bore little or no results. The draft, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, stated that militancy and terrorism has claimed over 48,000 lives and has cost the national exchequer more than $60 billion over the past 10 years.
A brief of the draft of the national anti-terrorism policy titled National Counter-Terrorism and Extremism Policy formulated by the PML-N, likely to be unveiled in the All Parties Conference to be held later this month constitutes five elements.
Unlike the previous government’s policy, PML-N’s strategies revolves around five things— dismantle, contain, prevent, educate and reintegrate.
Strategic context
The draft says that while the banned oganisations ‘survive and thrive’ they will pose a serious threat to Pakistan’s own security.
Reforms to run the strategy
The National Counter Terrorism Force (NCTF) shall be established. It will have intelligence and law enforcement powers. It will collect information and strike at the terrorists itself.
“Regular police will continue to do its routine crime control work and cooperate with NCTF in target hardening and cordoning etc,” the draft proposed.
It further suggested that the National Counter Insurgency Force (NCIF) shall be established which will replace armed forces in insurgency-hit areas. NCIF will operate in insurgency hit areas.
The army will be withdrawn gradually and replaced by NCIF piecemeal unit by unit, when fully trained and properly equipped to meet the challenges of insurgency in Fata.
Intelligence Directorate will be set up to overcome the perennial issue of the difficulty of coordinating intelligence between various intelligence set-ups belonging to a different element of the security apparatus.
The Ministry of Security and Counter-Terrorism shall be formed to work as the controlling authority of all counter-terrorism endeavors, ideally right under the supervision of the prime minister or the interior minister.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 22nd, 2013.
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It is impossible for Nawaz and his government to control terrorism. Because this terrorism is spread all over the Islamic world. Newly rich People in Saudi Arabia and Emirates are the supporter of this terrorism. They want to force their type of Islam to all over the Islamic world. They are enjoying the 21st century but they want to push rest of Islamic world into stone age. Nawaz and his Government are beggars how can they fight their masters . I have nothing personnel against Mr Nawaz Shrief and his gang.but this is the ground reality. God Bless Pakistan
Too many cooks spoil the broth. First, the Government must entrust the job of fighting terrorism to a single body who will be held accountable and responsible for both success as well as failure of its anti terrorism efforts. It should be either the Police or any one Intelligence Agency. Please pin the job to one entity only, dispersing the effort will help only in evading responsibility.
The new "4Ts" too have a serious problem, as those in power already know as to the whereabouts of these elements, however are simply reluctant to act, as they are classed as your assets ! One does not need to trace, trail, tackle and transform them. one simply can not transform these groups as its more likely they are succeeding in transforming the main society itself and they have certainly become lot more ambitious in goals and objectives, to actually take over the country and run it with their version of Islam !
The state must speak the truth and everything else will be settled.
There is no best way to fight terrorism unless a few things are known:
1) Who actually are these terrorists? 2) How did they become terrorists? 3) What is exactly their ideology and why do they feel that the entire world is their enemy? 4) What is the book they are reading and teaching their youngsters? 5) How do we differ between the real terrorists and those who have been falsely labeled as terrorists?
Do you that there are some orphans in areas like Balochistan who have been falsely labeled as terrorists by Landlords and people who actually captured the property of these orphans? and when these orphans retaliate for their right, they are labeled as terrorists. Do you want to be somebody who killed an innocent then?
Think about all these aspects first, try to use words instead of weapons at first and once you are completely sure who the terrorists are then use weapons.