PM Khan forms committee to review anti-terror body’s role

islamabad — Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday called for revisiting the role of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) to make it a truly proactive organisation, in view of the new ground realities, and directed a review of its functioning in a week’s time.

Chairing the first-ever meeting of the Nacta board of governors here at the Prime Minister’s Office, Khan constituted a committee for reviewing the role and functioning of the organisation and called for formulating its well-defined mandate.

The national coordinator of Nacta briefed the meeting about the mandate and the role of the organisation since its establishment as a premier body for policy formulation and implementation of national counter terrorism and violent extremism strategy. The meeting also reviewed, in detail, the progress on implementation status of the 20-point National Action Plan.

Prime Minister Khan stated during the meeting that Pakistan has come a long way in its fight against the menace of terrorism and countering violent extremism.

“In this struggle, we have sacrificed thousands of our civilians and security personnel,” PM Khan said while lauding the services and contributions of the armed forces, intelligence agencies, police and other law enforcement and security agencies.

The prime minister said improved security situation today was the result of combined efforts of all stakeholders.

Khan deplored the fact that not even a single meeting of the Nacta Board of Governors could be convened since its inception, and said this negligence on the part of the previous government led to lack of focus in improving functioning of an important organisation.

The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Minister for Finance Asad Umar, Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem, Minister of State for Interior Shahryar Afridi, Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider, the chief ministers of all four provinces and Gilgit Baltistan, and other relevant officials.

The participants constituted a committee to review the role and function of Nacta and then submit its recommendations to the prime minister within a week. —

In this struggle (against terror and extremism), we have sacrificed thousands of our civilians and security personnel

Imran Khan, prime minister of Pakistan