Security czar tasked to make NACTA functional

Seeks Joint Intelligence Directorate in counterterror body

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has tasked the interior ministry with making the country’s top counterterrorism body fully functional, according to a source within the ministry.

To improve civilian contribution to the fight against terrorism and extremism, Nawaz has asked the country’s security czar to ensure that the much-awaited Joint Intelligence Directorate (JID) is set up within the National Counter-terrorism Authority (Nacta) to shut down terrorist networks.



Nacta chief Saeed Ghani told The Express Tribune that the process of recruitment and establishment of the JID would be completed within two to three months.



Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had a news conference on November 20 that the finance ministry had released a tranche of about Rs1.06 billion to set up the JID. He had vowed to make Nacta functional within six months.

Meanwhile, the minister recently convened a high-level meeting to discuss how to strengthen the anti-terror body. After the release of funds by the finance ministry, Nisar approved induction of staff for making Nacta fully functional.



Confirming the first installment, he said it was the first time that such a hefty amount had been allocated for the authority since its creation in 2009.

The Finance Division has released the first installment against Nacta’s demand for Rs1.89 billion. “The remaining amount will be released soon,” said the minister.

The body is currently being run without formal staff and by less than 10 officers. Nisar asked Nacta officials to expedite the induction of staff because the main constraint, lack of funds, had been addressed.



The need for preparing Nacta’s service rules was also brought up in the meeting. According to the upper house of parliament, one of the reasons for Nacta’s non-functioning was its lack of service rules.

The authority was set up by the previous Pakistan Peoples Party government to gather intelligence from all the agencies and implement a counterterrorism strategy. Its powers were increased through legislation in 2013. However, the status of Nacta remains unclear.

Currently, the body is working under the administrative control of the interior ministry and its operational control is under the PM’s Secretariat. However, in one of its verdicts, the Islamabad High Court had termed the interior ministry’s control over Nacta ‘illegal’.



Earlier this month, Pakistan had decided to take a leaf out of the United Kingdom’s anti-terror book to improve Nacta’s capabilities.

The development had emerged months after the British government stepped up fresh investment in the UK’s counterterrorism capabilities, offering Pakistan assistance in capacity building of its counterterror body.  As a part of employing anti-terrorism strategies of other countries, Pakistan and the UK had agreed to enhance cooperation to combat terrorism and counter violent extremism and radicalism.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th,  2015.