Govt throws nation at the mercy of terrorists

[niazikhan2]

BY ANSAR ABBASI


ISLAMABAD: The Gilani regime has practically left the people of Pakistan at the mercy of terrorists as it has neither implemented the unanimous resolutions adopted by parliament to review the official policy on war on terror nor enacted a piece of legislation to set up the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) despite an announcement made over two-and-a-half years back.
Such is the level of indifference and apathy on part of the regime that despite a decision taken in 2008 for the constitution of Nacta and to raise a special squad to counter terrorism, the government could not enact a law as yet. There is also no counter-terrorism strategy framed so far though more than 35,000 Pakistanis have lost their lives as a result of terrorist activities. Consequently, the government is neither addressing the causes of the post-9/11 terrorism as recommended by parliament nor is it doing anything to counter the mounting incidents of terrorism that have shaken the very foundations of the state.
The Nacta office was set up but remained ineffective in the absence of law that the government has failed to make in the last three years. Informed sources lament that while the innocent are killed everywhere, this important matter is delayed merely because of the tug of war between the Interior Ministry and the rest on the question as to who should lead this counter-terrorism body.
These sources said that the interior minister is keen to have this body under his control whereas others, including Raza Rabbani, some other influential security agencies and provinces want the Nacta to work under the prime minister but be headed by a military officer instead of a police officer. Nacta as envisaged, would be a vital body not only to create a database of terrorists and terrorist organisations but will work for coordination and exchange of important information between the federal and provincial civilian agencies and security entities.
The Nacta, according to the sources, would not be an operational organisation but would be a key body to conduct researches on counter-terrorism. Despite conceptualising the idea some three years back, the Gilani regime did not do much in this respect. Such is the disappointing situation that the Nacta, which is presently without any legal footing, has already seen four National Coordinators, including Tariq Pervez, Chaudhry Iftikhar, Zafarullah Khan and now Wasim Kausar.
The incumbent Nacta chief is presently working on the draft law for the organisation he is heading. How long it would take for the Gilani regime to pass this law, is not known to anyone.
In a meeting of 2008, the cabinet decided to set up the Nacta, which as per the cabinet’s decision was to be exclusively tasked to counter this menace. Over after two-and-a-half years in March 2011, the cabinet again took up the issue and as per the information minister’s briefing, the cabinet had disapproved a draft of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) bill and called for improvement to make it more acceptable. The incumbent Nacta chief is presently busy suggesting improvements in it; however, it is not known if he is going to stay there for long, as there is no fixed term for Nacta chief.
According to media reports, in a recent cabinet meeting, the then Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Mian Raza Rabbani and Interior Minister Rehman Malik had entered into an argument, which led to the deferment of the approval of the cabinet for the promulgation of Nacta.
According to sources, Mian Raza Rabbani was of the view that Nacta should be placed under the prime minister instead of the interior minister, as is the case in the other countries. He objected to the idea of making secretary interior the principal accounting officer of the institution, insisting that it would not allow Nacta to work independently.
Mian Raza Rabbani argued that if Nacta works as sub-division of the Interior Ministry, its working would be compromised. However, Interior Minister Rehman Malik defended the creation of the Nacta under the Interior Ministry.
According to one of the proposals, the prime minister would be the chairperson of Nacta but another option supported by the Interior Ministry recommended interior minister to lead the organisation. Some of the provincial governments had serious reservations about the placement of Nacta under the control of the Interior Ministry and had suggested that it should function under the direct control of the prime minister with little interference of the Interior Ministry in its operations.


Govt throws nation at the mercy of terrorists