While placing the latest information about the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) before the National Assembly recently, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan reported “significant gains” had been made in countering terrorism in the country.

Yet, the minister had nothing to say what has been holding up activating the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) in the crucial fight - or even the Joint Intelligence Directorate (JID) that was to be created under Nacta.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had described the JID as a key element in hunting down and eliminating the terrorists when he launched the NAP in December 2014.

Before that, the interior minister had laid emphasis on creating JID in Nacta when the country’s first-ever Internal Security Policy was announced in early 2014.

Indeed, Chaudhry Nisar often accepted after taking over the charge of interior ministry that trust deficit and near absence of collaboration between the civil and military intelligence agencies of the country were greatly hurting the fight against terrorists and insurgents.

That made the disclosure in the document he submitted to the National Assembly that the ubiquitous ‘summary’ for setting up the JID has been lying with the Prime Minister’s Office for approval, incredulous.

Although, the minister didn’t explain the delay in approval, the mere fact of inattention is unfortunate and cause of unwanted speculation.

A senior government official involved in the formation of JID said bringing civilian and military intelligence agencies to work together is a difficult task.

May be so, but the prime minister approving the summary certainly is not. Why is he shy of taking that first step?

It was planned that all agencies will pool their terrorism related intelligence in the JID, from where subsequent operations will be launched.

Another important measure the government announced as part of its NAP strategy was to craft counter narrative to extremist mind-set in the country.

According to the interior minister, a draft ‘national narrative’ has been finalised by the federal ministry of information and broadcasting, which is also finalising amendments in the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) laws.

However, the government is yet to share the draft with media which would be the vehicle to spread the ‘good’ narrative.

Likewise, the Prevention of Electronic Crime Bill 2015 is pending before a Senate standing committee. Civil rights activists had found the bill “too intrusive” when the National Assembly passed it recently.

Perhaps, fearing public pressure for unpalatable changes, the government prefers sleeping over it than pursuing it in the Senate.

However, it is not all dark on the counterterrorism front. The government has brought the potential misuse of the vast communication network under control. 

Of the 103 million SIMs in use in the country, the government has so far verified around 98 million. It is also in talks with Afghanistan government to check cross-board mobile telephone services used by terrorists.

Islamabad has also made headway in checking financing of terrorists. The government has registered 274 cases and arrested 259 people involved in the Hawala and Hundi illegal money transactions, suspicious transactions, anti money laundering.

The effort resulted in the recovery of Rs222.10 million and freezing 124 bank accounts believed to be used by banned organisations.

In its NAP operations against armed militias, particularly the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), interior minister reported law enforcement agencies killed a staggering number of 20,186 terrorists killed, 3,418 arrested and 3,462 individuals identified as affiliates of the TTP. Another 651 militants were proclaimed absconders.

Chaudhry Nisar told the National Assembly that the federal government has so far transferred 69 cases of terrorism to the nine special military courts which had been set up following the 21st constitutional amendment.

In the meantime, the Supreme Court, in a ruling on the 21st constitutional amendment, emphasised the need for transparent trial of accused terrorists.

It emerges from the interior minister’s report on the implementation of NAP that while the government is making some progress in certain areas, others are being ignored.

For example, registration and streamlining of madrassahs, an important feature of the NAP, is neither here nor there.

Mere arrests of terrorists would not serve the purposes of the NAP. “The solution lies in a holistic approach the focal person (Chaudhry Nisar) has to pursue,” commented a government official.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2015

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