Fighting terror: NACTA seeks Rs1.86b for next fiscal year

Allocates most of the budget for setting up joint intelligence directorate

ISLAMABAD: The country’s top counterterrorism body seeks around Rs1.86 billion for the fiscal year 2016-17, and has asked the authorities to consider its suggestion while preparing the next federal budget.

The National Counter Terrorism Authority’s (Nacta) proposed budget allocation from the finance ministry is Rs0.8 billion higher than the funds released to the body three months ago in order to make it functional.

The ministry had released Rs1.06 billion — the heftiest amount released to Nacta since its creation in 2009.



In its budgetary estimation, Nacta placed the allocation of around Rs1.03 billion for the joint intelligence directorate (JID), a head that has superseded all the other accounts in its consideration of the budget.

This amount would be used for setting up the directorate, purchasing security equipment, technical equipment, physical assets such as vehicles, and for recruitment and other purposes.

The Express Tribune has learnt that efforts are being made to expedite the establishment of the JID, which is expected to be operational within the next three months.

Nacta and the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) wing of the Pakistan Customs, as agreed, will establish the JID to counter terrorism and allied activities across the country.

The top counterterrorism body has already asked the taxman to nominate three customs officers for establishing the directorate.

According to sources, the JID would serve as a seamless coordination platform for exchange of information between Nacta and Pakistan Customs.

The directorate will consist of 30 desks, one of which will be headed by a grade-18 customs officer, who will primarily serve as the channel of information exchange.



According to the budget proposal, Rs100 million of the total funds would be used for Nacta’s Research and Development Fund.

Sources said the counterterror body needs a total staff of 300, including around 85 officers of grade-17 or above, whereas at the moment it has a total strength of 67, including 17 officers.

They said that as provincial governments were reluctant to extend their support to meet Nacta’s workforce demand, the prime minister had to intervene to ask the provinces to supply the required workforce for the body.

Nacta will soon establish in every provincial capital a regional directorate, each of which would be headed by a grade-18 officer, added the sources.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2016.