ISLAMABAD, Sept 20: The Pakistan People's Party-led government has blamed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for the inordinate delay in the passage of National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) Bill. Whatever is the actual reason behind its non-adoption, the bill initiated in 2009 to set up a supreme anti-terrorism body is still lying idle. On the other hand, the spate of terrorist attacks has intensified in the country making everybody unsafe.

“We have provided the draft of the bill to PML-N to have a consensus document before it is laid before parliament,” Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told Dawn on Tuesday.

She said the document was still with the federal cabinet and would not be sent to the parliament unless it is approved by the opposition party.

According to normal practice, the government first sends any important national issue to the federal cabinet and after its approval it is forwarded to the parliament for legislation.

Sources in the government said Interior Minister Rehman Malik had been proposed to be the chairman of the authority according to the draft of Nacta bill prepared by the Ministry of Interior.

However, some members of the cabinet have raised objections and demanded that the authority should work under direct supervision of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

They were of the view that Nacta would become a subordinate department of the interior ministry instead of a national body if interior minister was made its chairman.

The information minister said the bill was still pending and there was no sign that it would be put on the agenda of the cabinet meeting in near future. “The federal cabinet is meeting on Wednesday and I don't think the mater will be discussed in the meeting,” she said.

When contacted, PML-N spokesman Mushahidullah denied the claim of the information minister and said his party had not received any such document from the government.

“The present government always tells lies and I think it is again making false claims,” he remarked.

He said the PML-N had given 10-point recommendations to the government for the new accountability law to replace the present one promulgated by former president Pervez Musharraf but no action is being taken in this regard by the government side.

The nation is facing worst kind of terrorism for the last one decade but the present and last governments could not update the anti-terrorism laws and establish an authority at the national level.

More than 35,000 people, including 5,000 security personnel, have lost their lives and property worth billions of rupees destroyed in hundreds of suicide attacks in the country.

Ironically, the government is following the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, which has virtually become obsolete and outdated and requires amendments to cope with the new challenges.

Former FIA director general Malik Javed Iqbal, who was recently indicted in a contempt of court case, has been named as the new head of Nacta. The Supreme Court questioned his role in investigating the National Insurance Company scam.

Prime Minister Gilani had stressed the need for making National Counter Terrorism Authority an effective organisation to counter terrorism and extremism, saying serious efforts were required for countering terrorism and extremism through psychological warfare which needs proper research and analysis of the minds of extremists and militants.