Pakistan’s federal cabinet approves Counter-Terrorism Authority Bill

Federal cabinet Wednesday approved a draft law to establish a new counter terrorism body aimed at better coordinating efforts to defeat Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked violence.

Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Wednesday that the main objective was to defeat terrorism, but he provided no details on exactly how the new organization would help.

“The cabinet today approved the National Counter-Terrorism Authority Bill the need for which has been felt for a long time,” Kaira told reporters after a regular cabinet meeting. To come into effect the bill needs to be approved by parliament and signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardari.

Kaira said the new authority would devise policies and improve coordination among provincial governments and intelligence agencies as well as research and devise long-term policies to defeat the terrorist mindset.

“The authority may suggest changes in curriculum, drama and films and it can also suggest introducing modern education in seminaries,” he added. Previous attempts to reform religious seminaries, considered by many as nurseries for recruits to the Taliban and other extremist organisations, have born little fruit.

At least 35,000 people have been killed as a result of terrorism since the 9/11 attacks and the 2001 US-led invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan, according to the government. Suicide attacks, roadside bombings and shootings are a near day-to-day reality, particularly in parts of the northwest near the Afghan border.

The cabinet also decided to establish a medical university at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.

The minister announced that the medical university would be named after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and would be a federal chartered university imparting post-graduate medical education.

The cabinet also approved amendments in Election Laws in lieu of the 18th constitutional amendment on Wednesday and approved the formation of a new counter-terrorism authority

The cabinet also decided to give autonomous status to the Climate Change Impact Study Centre, which will also have a representation of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=35519

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Nov 29 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.