Pakistan to take leaf out of UK’s anti-terror book

Nacta to be made more productive, result-oriented

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to take a leaf out of the United Kingdom’s anti-terror book to improve the capabilities of its top counterterrorism body fighting extremism and radicalism.

The development emerges months after the British government stepped up fresh investment in the UK’s counterterrorism capabilities, offering Pakistan assistance in capacity building of the National Counterterrorism Authority (Nacta).



As a part of employing anti-terrorism strategies of other countries, Pakistan and the UK agreed on Thursday to enhance cooperation to combat terrorism and counter violent extremism and radicalism.

“We shall take a leaf from the UK’s counterterrorism capabilities. It would make Nacta a more productive and result-oriented institution,” Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was quoted as saying in an official statement, which was issued after his meeting with Clovis Meath Baker, UK prime minister’s counterterrorism capability envoy to Pakistan.

Pak-UK bilateral relations, and mutual cooperation in security and the fight against terrorism were discussed during the meeting, read the statement.



“Both countries agreed to work out a key policy to decrease the rising tendency of extremism, soft intervention and linkage with think tanks,” said a Nacta official. The visiting envoy asked Pakistan to identify areas where both countries could work for de-radicalisation, added the official.

Human trafficking

The interior minister has ordered clearing two bills – ‘Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children 2013’ and ‘Prevent and Combat the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air 2013’ – pending with the Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights.

An annual report issued by the US State Department divides nations into tiers based on their compliance with standards outlined in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). Pakistan is currently on tier 2 watchlist, which includes countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance.



“Who will be responsible if Pakistan slips to tier 3?” asked Nisar. Tier 3 includes countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.

Extradition treaty

The interior minister met with his Tajikistani counterpart Rakhimzoda Ramazon and discussed the agreement on extradition between the two countries.

“It is an important milestone towards our shared objective of forging a robust security partnership and strengthening our law enforcement agencies,” said Nisar.



Both the ministers agreed to share a list of priorities for furthering mutual cooperation in security to effectively fight terrorism and human smuggling, besides learning from each other’s experiences.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2015.