ISLAMABAD, May 24: The National Counter-terrorism Authority (Nacta) is lying dormant as the Nacta Ordinance introduced in 2009 is yet to be tabled in the parliament pending approval of the cabinet.

First chairman of the Authority, a former FIA director general Tariq Parvaiz, appointed by the interior minister Rehman Malik, resigned after seeing no progress on the ordinance in one year.

The prime minister has convened Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) meeting on Wednesday to discuss fresh wave of terrorism. After Data Darbar bomb blasts, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani at a meeting of all chief ministers, chief secretaries and other security establishment officers concerned on July 5, 2010 decided to reactivate Nacta.

The authority, set up with much fanfare, was to act as a research organisation for which the EU had pledged 15 million euros. A draft was also being framed to provide a legal cover to it.

After one year discussions and getting input from other political parties like the PML-N it was decided to make the prime minister as its chairman with interior minister as vice-chairman.

The government seems to be in a state of confusion after terrorists stormed the naval base, which has not only eroded its authority but tarnished the image of the security forces.

Experts believe that after the 18-hour occupation of Mehran Naval base by terrorists the government should revert to the idea of reactivating Nacta immediately which should launch its own counter-terror force. They said it was certainly time to act because the terrorists were organised and well funded.

The experts were of the opinion that after defeat in Swat and tribal areas, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was now moving towards urban guerilla warfare.

They said given the enormity of the situation, one would expect of the government to develop some mechanisms to address this challenge.—Ahmad Hassan