The government has earmarked a sum of Rs 109.42 million for the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) in the budget 2016-17 against the total demand of Rs 1.86 billion for its different departments. However, a supplementary grant of Rs 1.110 billion was demanded by the Ministry of Interior for reinvigoration of NACTA, the country's key counter terrorism body.
Sources said Rs 1.06 billion allocated by the government during the outgoing fiscal year's budget for NACTA especially for Joint Intelligence Directorate (JID) lapsed as the fund remained unused. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan while taking to reporters on Monday said the non-availability of a proper building for NACTA and JID was the main reason behind non-utilisation of the fund. A building for NACTA had been acquired and work on its renovation had begun, he said.
Chaudhary Nisar further said the JID, which was an important component of NACTA, would also become fully functional after the renovation of the building. According to an official document, NACTA had demanded Rs 1.86 billion for its different departments for the next financial year (2016-17). Out of 1.86 billion, Rs 656 million has been requested for NACTA, Rs 100 million for NACTA research and development fund, Rs 71.36 million for 30 department cells and Rs 1032.43 million for JID.
The government did not allocate any funds for the re-organisation of NACTA in the budget 2015-16 but later allocated Rs 1.06 billion against total demand of Rs 2.1 billion. The government allocated Rs 92 million in budget 2014-15 for NACTA and Rs 95 million for the Authority in budget 2013-14. An official of the authority said that the main objective of JID in NACTA was to ensure complete co-ordination and dissemination of real-time information among all 24 intelligence agencies operating in the country. The purpose of NACTA research and development fund was to carry out research on topics relevant to terrorism and extremism, he added.
He said JID would consist of 413 officers including officers from the Military Intelligence (MI), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), other agencies and departments. The function of NACTA includes receiving and collection of data or information or intelligence and its dissemination and co-ordination between all relevant stakeholders to formulate threat assessments with periodic review to be presented to the federal government for making adequate and timely effort to counter terrorism and extremism.
The Authority is also responsible to prepare comprehensive national counter terrorism and extremism strategies and review them on periodic basis. The additional responsibilities of NACTA include security of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)-establishments of Special Security Division (SSD), implementation of National Action Plan (NAP), establishing of toll free helpline for countering terrorism (CT 1717), foreigners' security and repatriation of foreign nationals.