NACTA directed to implement judicial reforms by end of 2017

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Thursday directed the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) to start implementing the recommendations for judicial and policing reforms it has received over the past year.

In May 2016, Nacta was asked to invite recommendations on policy and procedural reforms from experts in the field of counter-terrorism and other relevant provincial and federal institutions.

The aim was to gather information that could then be used to strengthen the criminal judicial system that deals with terrorism incidents. The recommendations concern policing, jailing, prosecution, financial streamlining and administrative efficacy, among other factors.

Nacta had recently informed the interior ministry that it was done receiving recommendations. The ministry in turn, gave it till the end of 2017 to bring the recommendations into practice.

Following the interior ministry’s directive, Nacta seeks to bring together all the concerns of different government departments and provincial governments, including Gilgit-Baltistan, and streamline the judicial process through reforms.

Established in January 2009, Nacta was tasked with drawing up a national strategy in consultation with stakeholders.

The 2013 Nacta Act ensured its legal status as a legitimate federal body.

Nacta was set up to generally “curb the menace of terrorism”, however, one of its tasks is to “receive and collate data or information or intelligence, and disseminate and coordinate between all relevant stakeholders.” In that respect, Nacta is expected to play a crucial overarching role in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism.

Source: Dawn