ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday constituted a committee to review the role and functioning of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA).
Chairing the first meeting of NACTA, the prime minister called for a revision of the organisation’s framework and formulation of its mandate within a week’s time.
According to sources, the committee will include senior members of all provincial governments, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
“The committee will present its detailed report to the premier within a week,” sources added.
The meeting was attended by ministers for defence, finance, law, chief ministers of all four provinces and Gilgit Baltistan, AJK prime minister, minister of state for Interior, DG ISI, secretary Interior, national coordinator NACTA, board of governors of NACTA, chief secretaries, inspector generals of police and senior officials.
The meeting also reviewed the progress on implementation of the 20-point National Action Plan.
PM Imran while addressing the meeting regretted that not even a single meeting of the NACTA board of governors could be convened since its inception. “It’s unfortunate that the previous government did not call for a single meeting of NACTA and this negligence led to lack of focus in improving the functioning of the organisation,” he said.
“The current situation requires that NACTA fulfills its role actively,” PM Imran said while adding that the country has been facing the challenges of terrorism and extremism for a long time.
Lauding the services and contributions of the armed forces, intelligence agencies, police, law enforcement and security agencies, PM Imran said, “The improved security situation today is the result of combined efforts of all stakeholders.”
NACTA national coordinator briefed the meeting about the mandate and the role of the organisation as a premier body for policy formulation and implementation of national terrorism and counter-extremism strategies.