Internal security policy to be presented to cabinet tomorrow: Nisar

Policy envisages a national counter terrorism authority and a Joint Intelligence Directorate.

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said on Sunday that the new internal security policy will be presented for debate at the special cabinet meeting on Monday, according to Radio Pakistan.

Talking to newsmen in Islamabad on Sunday evening‚ Nisar said the security policy will be based on three sections:

The first section will be clandestine and inaccessible to the public; the second section will concern the strategy of dealing with the Taliban and the third section will discuss a framework for national defense.

A national counter terrorism authority, a Joint Intelligence Directorate and Rapid Response Teams will be set up under the policy for effective responses to intelligence reports. The Bomb Disposal Squad will also receive a boost with 65 more imported vehicles for bomb disposal.

The minister said everything mentioned in the policy will be put in place within a year.

Nisar censured political point-scoring on the sensitive issue of dialogue with the Taliban.

He informed reporters that the army will investigate Sunday's Bannu attack, which reportedly killed 20 security officers.

A huge quantity of ammunition was used in the blast, which is yet to be ascertained as either a suicide attack or an explosion through a planted device.

Nisar said the country was facing a difficult situation and blamed it on the government policies of the last thirteen years.