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A National Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) is needed in Pakistan to effectively fight terrorism at the national and transnational level, according to a proposal by Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), reported The News International.
Nacta argues that: "Provincial CT structures alone are not enough to defeat national and transnational threats. Counter-terrorism is not provincial, only policing is provincial." The Nacta has also floated a proposal for a National CTD to the interior ministry. Pakistan is witnessing a rise in terrorism at the national level. The issue is, however, being dealt with like a provincial matter as different provinces are fighting the issue with their respective CTDs, a CTD official wrote in a letter highlighting the issues faced by Pakistan's provincial CTDs. "Currently, the bureaucratic procedures and provincial anomalies hinder the smooth flow of intelligence-based reports, and it is impossible to carry out timely operations involving multiple provinces," read the CTD official's letter written after the hostage crisis in the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) complex in Bannu, reported The News International. The official gave an example to better explain the situation. He said that if the Punjab CTD is in need of information from the CTD in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the department would have to follow certain rules and regulations. By the time the information is available, the damage would already be done, he said, adding that there has been a major shift in the TTP's strategy after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. He said the TTP is now targeting law enforcement agencies. Recently, at least two Pakistan Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials were killed after they were attacked at a local hotel in Khanewal, Geo News reported citing a senior police official. Pakistan's South Punjab Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Sahabzada Shahzad Sultan, in a statement, said that the incident was an act of terror. While giving details about the incident, the police officials said that the perpetrators were on a motorcycle and started firing at the parking lot of a hotel. The police official pointed out, "one inspector remained unhurt." And added that the attackers killed Director CTD Naveed Sial and Inspector Nasir Abbas. Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah took notice of the incident and asked Punjab's inspector-general of police and the province's chief secretary to submit a report, Geo News reported. About 1,000 people were killed and injured in attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan on the Pakistan government in 2022, according to statistics published by the TTP terrorist group, Khaama Press reported. TTP said in a video, that most of their attacks took place in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. They also launched attacks outside the province, Khaama Press reported. (ANI)
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