The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday sought from the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) list of its officials, their duties as well as details of the steps it had taken so far to contain terrorism, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

A two-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed, during the hearing of a suo moto notice of target killings of the people belonging to Shiite Hazara community in Balochistan, also admonished the NACTA officials present on the occasion, and said that the Authority was merely sucking the country’s resources.

When the CJP asked as to what steps had been taken to protect Hazara community from the acts of terrorism, additional attorney general (AAG) Balochistan told the court that the names of Amir Ahmed and other suspected people had been included in the Fourth Schedule on the request of the Balochistan government, and that there would be further scrutiny of these people’s profiles at Review Board’s meeting scheduled to be held on November 24.

The CJP remarked that the apex court would not let some elements devour the rights of others. 

Addressing the NACTA DG, who was standing on the rostrum, the chief justice asked him as to why not contempt of court proceedings be initiated against him.

NACTA member Asif Saifullah, on the occasion, told the court that it was the federal government’s, and not Authority’s, prerogative to decide whose name was to be put on the Fourth Schedule. “NACTA only does the research work and our experts write down articles,” he explained.

When CJP Gulzar remarked that not a single act of the anti-terrorism body should be a secret, and that the Authority should tell to the court all it had done so far to prevent the spread of terrorism, the AAG reminded him that it was the NACTA that had formulated the National Action Plan (NAP). 

Later, the court adjourned hearing of the case for two weeks. 

Amanat Gishkori