With eyes wide shut

The government appears to be confused when it comes to formulating and implementing a national counterterrorism policy. The war against terror lacks focus. Despite the spilling of much blood, and having spent billions of rupees on formulating the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta), the government has once again failed to budget funds for the body. The finance ministry appears to have been playing ping-pong with attempts to get Nacta appropriately-funded since 2009. It recently claimed that Nacta was funded by the interior ministry — a claim quickly denied by the said ministry. The truth is that Pakistan, deep in an existential war against terrorism, has no functional counterterrorism authority.

It must be noted that the strengthening of Nacta was point number four on the 20-point National Action Plan (NAP), a ‘NAP’ that is rapidly evolving into a coma that is a likely precursor to a persistent vegetative state. The attack on the Army Public School was supposed to be the watershed, the day on which everything changed — and on paper at least it did. Yet, Nacta has a tiny staff with the majority of gazetted positions vacant. The government has failed to establish a joint intelligence directorate and the interior ministry has told parliament that the NAP is merely a set of ‘recommendations’ and not a legislative draft. Forgive us if we stand mouth-agape with incredulity at this appalling state of affairs. Bloodshed, mayhem and massacre have the nation by the throat and the government is trying to water down such an important effort, simply to sit upon some extra money. We might be forgiven for wondering just why it is so, what vested interests are in play, what moves are being made in the shadows? This is no idle conspiracy theorising; there are necessary actions that are just not being taken. Prevarication, weakness and a failure of vision are no tools to fight terrorism. Fund Nacta and stop the dilly-dallying!

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2015.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.