Major General Faisal Naseer Appointed National Counter Terrorism Coordinator

Major General Faisal Naseer has been appointed the National Coordinator of Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) for a three-year term.

The Establishment Division issued a notification Friday stating Naseer's appointment is effective immediately and made on a secondment basis under Section 9(1) of the Nacta Act, 2013. This appointment places a key official from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) at the helm of the authority, which was created over a decade ago to coordinate the nation's fight against terrorism and extremism.

Nacta was established in 2008 as an administrative unit of the Ministry of Interior and later gained autonomy under the 2013 act, tasked with collecting intelligence, developing strategies, and monitoring their implementation. The authority has historically struggled to function effectively as the lead civilian counter-terrorism body, often remaining a policy secretariat with limited enforcement capacity.

Naseer's appointment comes amid renewed security concerns and follows a proposal to have a seasoned army or intelligence official lead the counter-terrorism authority, aiming to bring greater strategic and operational experience. The last executive committee meeting of Nacta was held in April 2024.