The National Counterterrorism Authority (NCA), created four weeks back, is waiting for budgetary allocation to launch its activity. Tariq Pervez, who was designated as the first coordinator of the NCA, is currently using a room in the Interior Ministry as a stopgap, an informed official told this correspondent. He said that after the availability of the budget the NCA would set up a separate office and have its own staff. The NCA will bring about increased coordination in the efforts directed at counter-terrorism, the official adding that it was seriously felt at the highest level to have a central organization to do this job. Pervez, who was made coordinator of the new body, recently retired as director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). He is preparing the concept, structure and mandate of the NCA so that it serves the purpose for which it is being established. The official said that the primary objective that the NCA would intend to achieve would be maximum coordination among different tools and agencies of the government, which were engaged in counterterrorism. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani set up the NCA on the recommendation of Interior Advisor Rehman Malik, the official said. The counterterrorism task has always been done by intelligence agencies mainly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Their workload increased manifold after Pakistan's participation in the anti-terror war in the wake of the 9/11 attack. Most civilian governments have always been critical of the absence of the needed coordination among intelligence agencies and other state organizations, and have been calling for effective counterterrorism measures. During the tenure of the Benazir Bhutto government, former Air Marshal (retd) Zulfikar Ali Khan had, in a comprehensive report, recommended greater coordination among the intelligence agencies. However, it could not implement the proposals because of its dismissal before its constitutionally mandated period. When in power, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) always gives a serious thought to establishing such an organization. The need for such a body was again felt in the changed scenario when Pakistan especially its tribal area and parts of the NWF Province.
