ISLAMABAD- The Islamabad High Court today removed National Counter-terrorism Authority (NACTA) head Khawaja Muhammad Ashraf from his office.

IHC's Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi announced the decision on a petition filed against NACTA. The court ruled that the command of NACTA be brought under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Meanwhile, all decisions taken by Ashraf during his tenure as NACTA head now stand revoked.
Earlier on Jan 3, 2014, the government had appointed Amir Ashraf Khawaja, a BPS-20 officer, as national coordinator. NACTA was formed in 2009 but remained dormant due to lack of resources. Last year, the government had introduced the NACTA Act in order to strengthen its efforts for countering terrorism.