Pakistan: Needed: an interior minister

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/

Ch Nisar had one job to do, and he failed to do that

Whatever else Ch Nisar might have been looking after for more than a year, it was by no means the Interior Ministry. He simply failed to activate the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA), which was supposed to be the centrepiece of PML-N government’s security policy. Nisar delayed the establishment of the Directorate of Intelligence Security (DIS). The National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) which maintained strategic coordination between civilian and military agencies during the Swat and South Waziristan operations was first closed down and then allowed to become dormant. The gross negligence has made the major cities vulnerable to terrorist attacks. On Sunday the prime minister directed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block cellular roaming on Afghan mobile phone SIMs in Pakistan, something that the interior minister should have done early this year when pressed by Sindh and KP governments for action.

After the breakdown of talks with the TTP, Ch Nisar should have admitted the failure of his shortsighted policy. He ought to have subsequently given total attention to the improvement of security in urban areas. What he did instead was turning into a recluse and failing to appear in the NA. Opposition leader Khursheed Shah has expressed annoyance over the absence of interior minister calling on him to come and face the situation and questions of the parliamentarians.

On Sunday Nisar asked police to bolster Islamabad’s security as the country was in a war-like situation because of the military operation in North Waziristan. He also told police to work out a foolproof plan ahead of Dr Tahirul Qadri’s arrival. He ordered a special contingent of Islamabad police with the support of Punjab police and Rangers to be deployed at Faizabad to stop PAT workers from entering the city. What Nawaz Sharif needs to do under the circumstances is to appoint a man with a wider vision and less rigidity as a new interior minister while handing over to Nisar the responsibility of looking after Islamabad alone.