Talks with Taliban: Govt to make ‘historic announcement’ at APC

Nisar says National Counter-Terrorism Authority to be modelled after US Department of Homeland Security

ISLAMABAD: All major political parties will meet in Islamabad on Monday (today) to evolve a consensus on how to tackle the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism in the country. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to make a ‘big announcement’ on talks with homegrown Taliban at the All Parties’ Conference (APC).

“The prime minister will make a historic announcement [on the subject of peace talks with militants] on Monday,” Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told a news conference on Sunday. He refused to share the details.

“It [the APC] is not just a conference… It is a forum to enable us to come up with a comprehensive and unanimous resolution on counterterrorism strategies,” Nisar said. He thanked all political parties which will be attending the APC.

He said the government has prepared a ‘provisional’ draft of the proposed national security policy, but added that it could be amended following input from the army and intelligence chiefs and political leaders. “The collective wisdom of the political leaders will help chalk out a plan of action for the government to follow.”

According to Nisar, the government has decided to model the National CounterTerrorism Authority (Nacta) after the US Department of Homeland Security – which was created in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“From now on, Nacta’s primary responsibility will be to devise policies to safeguard the country’s territory and respond to militant and terrorist activities [within its borders],” he said.

Apart from that, the government has also decided to raise a ‘Rapid Response CounterTerrorism’ force (RRCT) under Nacta’s command to promptly resolve any terrorist incident in the country, he added.

At an interior ministry meeting earlier in the day, Nisar also directed concerned quarters to incorporate an airwing, capable of flying night missions, in the RRCT.

“I have instructed the concerned departments to upgrade the capacity of their air assets for night operations and establish an air-wing for the RRCT,” he told reporters. He also directed concerned officials to revamp the National Crisis Management Cell.

Karachi operation

The interior minister claimed that incidents of target-killing have ‘gone down drastically ever since surgical cleanup operations began in Karachi last week’.

“Eighty targeted raids were carried out by police, while another 64 were conducted by Rangers over the last three days,” he said, adding that the raids had led to the arrests of a number of criminals.

“Some 80 weapons, of various natures, were seized following raids in Malir, Frontier Colony, Site, Badar Commercial, Clifton, Gizri and other areas of Karachi,” he said, while reading out from a report. He added that all suspects arrested in the operations had claimed affiliation with one political party or another. “We will take action against them after proper investigations.”

Nisar said all parties have, so far, expressed satisfaction over the targeted operation in Karachi. He added, however, that it would take months for law enforcers to purge the metropolis of criminals.

He said the government has asked the Sindh police chief to come to with suggestions for revamping the police department.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2013.