Govt set to table new anti-terror bill next week

A tussle with the interior ministry has held up legislation.

ISLAMABAD:

In an effort to provide legal cover to the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), the government will table a bill before parliament next week. The move is aimed at streamlining the authority’s work amidst reports of its poor performance.

As the country’s apex body to prescribe counter-terror strategies, NACTA was set up in 2008 via an executive order by former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. The body has so far spent over Rs524 million in counterinsurgency initiatives, but ended up producing only a brief documentary and a few research papers since its establishment.



Under the National Counter Terrorism Authority Bill 2012, legal cover will be provided to the former executive body which will coordinate and prepare comprehensive national counterterrorism and counter-extremism strategies. NACTA will work under the prime minister, who will head the board of governors. Initially, the board of governors was headed by NACTA’s director general. Top directors of the Inter-Services Intelligence and the Intelligence Bureau – who also feature on the board of governors – will report to the federal government about implementation of counter-terrorism plans, according to a draft of the proposed legislation. Furthermore, several chief ministers and senators will be members of the board of governors.

Functionality

On November 28, the cabinet gave a go-ahead for tabling a bill in parliament, which proposed to shield the top counter-terror body against certain types of litigation.

“No prosecution, suit or other legal proceedings shall lie against the authority, or its officers and consultants for anything done in good faith for carrying out the purposes of this Act or rules and regulations,” stated one of the clauses.

However, the federal government may issue directives to the counter-terror body on matters of policy, which will be binding. Furthermore, the body will be allowed to solicit international assistance in its endeavours.

Clauses in the bill said that the body will carry out research on topics relevant to terrorism and extremism, prepare and circulate documents, cooperate with international agencies for facilitating cooperation in disciplines relating to militancy, review relevant laws, suggest amendments and appoint committees of experts for policy deliberation.

Causes of delay

Citing the delay in giving legal cover to the top counter-terror authority, former director general of NACTA Dr Zafarullah Khan said that a long tussle with the interior ministry was to blame.

The interior ministry had proposed that Interior Minister Rehman Malik should head NACTA’s board of governors, something which Zafarullah Khan said was not acceptable to the directors of NACTA. The row delayed the tabling of the bill in the cabinet for approval. However, the bill provides for the interior minister to be the vice chairman of NACTA.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8^th, 2012.