ISLAMABAD – National coordinator of the National Counter TerrorismAuthority (Nacta) Ihsan Ghani warned on Friday that the militant IslamicState (IS) group posed a real threat to Pakistan.
“IS had a significant presence in Afghanistan, which threatened a spilloverinto Pakistan,” said the officer as he addressed a press conference inconnection with a security-related event.
The Nacta chief observed that the situations in the countries around shapedthe regional environment and a bad situation in a country affected itsneighbours as well.
The security czar maintained that we could not isolate ourselves from thesituation in Afghanistan hastening to add that fencing of the border withAfghanistan would make a difference.
He asserted that according to intelligence reports, Pakistan was targetedby Afghanistan-based terrorists adding that there were also reports aboutthe involvement of Afghan refugees in terrorist activities.
To a question about granting extensions to the Afghan refugees to stay inPakistan, Mr Ghani replied that the government could not take a unilateraldecision and had to consult other stakeholders on the issue.
“The policy of forced evacuation of Afghan refugees in the 1990s did notwork. Those who were sent across the border in trucks managed to come backagain” observed the official.
Ghani was of the view that a refugee policy should have been devised backin 1979, claiming that a refugee policy was being formed – keeping NGOs andinternational organisations in the loop – that would help resolverefugees-related issues.
Detailing the role of authority, he is heading, Ghani explained that Nactahad not been given operational role and it could not assume it adding thatthe government would have to amend the Nacta Act if the authority is to begiven operational role.
The NACTA head briefed that a three-day conference titled “IslamabadInternational Counter-Terrorism Forum” would be organised from April 3-5.
The theme of the conference this year is “Pakistan’s endeavours andachievements in countering extremism and terrorism (Peace)”.