ISLAMABAD - The Ministry of Interior has transferred as many as 36 functions of its defunct National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) to the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) as well as some of its wings and the decision is being regarded a step forward towards the strengthening of country’s only counter terrorism authority.

A notification issued by the Ministry of Interior says that a meeting held under the chair of secretary interior had decided to transfer the functions of NCMC to NACTA and some of the wings/ departments of the ministry. Some of the major functions have been given to NACTA while National Police Bureau (NPB) has been assigned at least two tasks.

Under the transferred functions, NACTA has been tasked to act as nerve centre for the Ministry of Interior and provide round the clock information on matters of internal security, terrorist activities and all events of national importance and day to day law and order situation through control room or media desk being run 24/7. Similarly, the functions of giving reports on bomb blast/suicide attacks have also been transferred to NACTA.

A senior officer of the ministry said that NACTA was already performing some of these tasks but now it has been officially transferred these functions and the decision would prove a step forward towards the government’s plans to re-organize the authority under the National Action Plan (NAP).

The incumbent government after coming into power in 2013 had decided to disband the NCMC to avoid its duality of functions with the NACTA, however, the transfer of its functions remained in limbo till the issuance of the recent notification.

The other main functions that have been transferred to NACTA include oversight role/role on spill over cellular communications network as well as standing operating procedures (SOPs) for verifications of cellular phone SIMs, anti-state contents on Internet, counter terrorism related cases, activities of proscribed organizations and references of Guantanamo bay detainees as well as Parwan Detention Facility Afghanistan. NACTA has been assigned the tasks of dealing with counter terrorism (CT) cooperation with foreign countries, Pak-India dialogue including Mumbai terror attack, CT confidence building measures, SAARC cases, sectarian hatred material/literature and collection or maintenance of data on terrorism as well as extremism.

The functions of collection/ maintenance of data on sectarian and various other crimes and Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program have been transferred to the National Police Bureau (NPB).

A number of powers of the defunct NCMC have been transferred to different wings/departments of the ministry. The powers including tackling issue of security instructions on receipt of threat alerts/information reports from various intelligence agencies, security of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as well as coordination with Special Security Division (SSD) for security of Chinese and security of foreigners visiting Pakistan plus foreigners working on various projects in Pakistan have been entrusted to its security wing. The powers of provision of security arrangements during the visit of VVIPs/VIPs, security of embassies and diplomats, issuance of security instructions on special occasions, security of polio related campaigns have also been transferred to the security wing of the interior ministry.

The functions including deportation of foreign nationals arrested by the intelligence agencies, abduction/whereabouts of foreign nationals, coordination with provinces on search operations to unearth terrorism hideouts have been transferred to the Political Wing of the ministry.

The tasks of NCMC including coordination with the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, maintenance of data of madaris/mosques and database of Al-Qaida Sanction Committee under UN Sanctions No1267 as well as cases of UN Security Council Resolutions have been assigned to the Law Wing of the ministry. This wing has also been asked to handle human rights cases connected with Supreme Court of Pakistan, court cases regarding missing persons, cases of UN Wing on Involuntary Disappearances and has also been given the role of proscription review committee that earlier worked under the chairmanship of Director General NCMC.

The function of deployment of army on special occasions on the request of provincial governments or Election Commission of Pakistan has been transferred to Civil Armed Forces (CAF) Wing of the ministry. The functions of dealing with the miscellaneous references from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PM’s secretariat/ and parliamentary affairs division regarding public grievances have been given to Public Section of the ministry.

The powers of NCMC of placement of criminals/terrorists on Exit Control List (ECL) received from the provincial governments/intelligence agencies has been given to the ECL Section and the NADRA  (National Database and Registration Authority) verification cases have been transferred to the NADAR Section of the Ministry of Interior.