Establishing a Counter Terrorism Force

Comprehensive review of NAP

Farhan Zahid

 Dr. Farhan Zahid is an expert of counter-terrorism and Islamist militant groups in Pakistan. His book Roots of Islamic Violent Activism in South Asia was published in 2014.

any efforts similar to NAP NISP called for establishing a similar M were made in the past. In May force by the name of “federal rapid 2014, for instance, the National response force”.2 Today, the two Internal Security Policy (NISP) 2014- forces are interchangeably 18 was presented, having many mentioned, given that their shared features similar to the NAP such as: modalities. reforming madrassas, building capacity of security forces, raising Police department occupies a central anti-terrorist force, enhancing stage in Pakistani security layer. coordination among security Policing is a provincial subject in agencies, dealing with Afghan Pakistan, with each province having refugees, and curbing terrorist its separate police. As the country’s financing. But, NISP failed to primary law-enforcement agency, materialize, not only because of police is the first line of defence. paucity of funds or capacity issues Although NAP doesn’t explicitly talk but also because of lack of about police, when compared with consensus.1 the NISP, it is evident that police is accorded prime position in the NAP, too, wasn’t much of a detailed security of the country. and proper counter-terror strategy document. But, what made it unique There are 354,221 police personnel from previous efforts has been its serving throughout the country.3 foundation on political consensus. Additionally, there are several Parties across the board, with the paramilitaries responsible for exception of some Islamists, various special tasks ranging from supported the document. policing the country’s border to stopping smuggling.4 One of the points NAP calls for is raising specialized counter-terrorism If this is the case, why do we need a (CT) force, a befitting response to fill counter-terrorist force? the need of desperate times. Earlier,

1 For a detailed analysis of NISP please 3 Hassan Abbas, “Reforming Pakistan’s see Raza Rumi, “Charting Pakistan’s police and law enforcement Internal Security Policy,” United States Infrastructure: Is it too flawed to Fix?,” Institute of Peace (USIP), United States Institute of Peace (USIP), http://www.usip.org/sites/default/file February 2011. s/SR368-Charting-Pakistans-Internal- 4 For example, Frontier Corps, Sindh Security-Policy.pdf. Rangers, Punjab Rangers, and Levies 2 Text of National Internal Security Policy force. document can be seen at www.nacta.pk.

Comprehensive review of NAP

Answer is simple. A police officer, like clamping down on hate speeches trained to combat crime, may not and monitoring of hate have the requisite skills meant to take makers.7Punjab government initially on terrorists, motivated by ideology established separate Counter-Terror and trained in asymmetric warfare. Departments (CTD) police stations, in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, and Terrorists are not casual criminals or Rawalpindi, hearing cases of defying smugglers. Law- sectarian violence and terrorism, enforcement officers, therefore, need only. special skill set to investigate terrorist attacks and interrogate suspected Additionally, all police departments terrorists. Terrorism is supposed to in the four provinces and Islamabad be dealt through specialized forces, have, on their own, raised special an offensive counter-terrorist body as forces, under their respective well as a defensive anti-terrorist one.5 counter-terror department. In fact, many countries have raised special police forces with functional Punjab, for instance, has two special specialization for counter- and anti- anti-terrorist forces. terrorist operations.6 The first one is the Elite Police, raised Special forces in Pakistan in 1997 amid growing sectarian threat. The Elite Police was tasked to In Pakistan, some police department handle several anti-terrorism in provinces have counter-terror matters: anti-terrorist operation, anti- department, which have been taking hijacking action, denting at sabotage, on some measures to curb terrorism, close protection to VVIPs; security to

5 Though the terms anti-terrorism and Group-9), France’s Groupe counter terrorism are interchangeably d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie used by practitioners but technically and Nationale GIGN (National Gendarmerie academically speaking are different. We Intervention Group), Israel’s Sayeret may define counter-terrorism as Matkal (General Staff Reconnaissance offensive strategies intended to prevent a Unit), United States’ Hostage Rescue belligerent, in a broader conflict, from Team (HRT) of Federal Bureau of successfully using the tactic of terrorism; Investigations, United Kingdom’s Special and anti-terrorism as defensive Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat [strategies], intended to reduce the Service (SBS) and India’s National chance of an attack using terrorist tactics Security Guards (NSG). at specific points, or to reduce the 7 For details about Fourth Schedule of vulnerability of possible targets to such Anti-Terrorist Act 1997 see section 11EE, tactics. http://www.punjabcode.punjab.gov.pk 6Some of the very successful ones are: /public/dr/THE%20ANTI- Germany’s Grenzschutzgruppe 9 der TERRORISM%20ACT,%201997.doc.pdf BundespolizeiGSG-9 (Border Protection

Establishing a Counter Terrorism Force sensitive government installations. anti-terrorism needs of Sindh police. Officers are selected from regular This highly-trained force of 3000 police force for training at the Elite personnel looks after the security of Police Training School (EPTS), VVIPs, special operations against Lahore. Since 1997, when it was organized crime as well as banned established to mid-2015, a total of outfits in Karachi and rest of Sindh 8,046 police officers have been province. The Shaheed Benazir trained there.8 Bhutto Elite Police Training School, located in the suburbs of Karachi, The other one, Counter-Terrorism provides basic training to the SSU’s Force, is established more recently, in personnel, besides running training 2014, following the release of NISP. wing which builds capacity for Tasked to overcome and dismantle regular police officers.12 terrorism in the province, CTF personnel are trained at the EPTS, Similarly, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Lahore.9 However, they are distinct (KP) set up its new special force unit, from the Elite Police. That is why CTF Counter Terrorism Force (CTF), with personnel are normally called as an initial strength of 2400 police “corporals”, as opposed to officers.13A multifunctioning body, “elite.”10So far, 1500 CTC corporals in the CTF’s mandate also allows it to three batches have passed out, after operate as intelligence-gathering undergoing training by Turkish agency. The force is trained at a police. A total of 300 million rupees special academy in Hangu. The CTF are being spent for those trainings.11 helps regular police in conducting special operations in nearly all Other provinces, too, have districts of KP. established special CT force. Balochistan too has a special anti- Sindh police has established its own terror force by the name of the Anti- elite special force, Special Security Terrorist Force (ATF). The ATF Unit (SSU), in 2010, relatively late currently comprises 900 active-duty than others. The SSU caters to the officers and 11 wings. It assists

8 Official Website of Elite Police Training on Saturday,” Express Tribune, January School: 29, 2015. http://elitepolice.net/aboutus.htm, 12 Official Website of Special Security accessed on 16/6/2015. Unit: 9 “1500 corporals get in Anti-Terrorism http://www.ssusindhpolice.gos.pk/car Force,” The Nation, April 1, 2014. eers.htm. 10“Provincial police force: CTD corporals 13Javed Aziz Khan, “KP sets up special to begin training next week,” Express anti-terrorist force,” The News Tribune, May 1, 2014. International, November 19, 2013. 11 Hassan Naqvi, “Counter Terrorism Force: First batch of corporals to pass out

Comprehensive review of NAP regular police in launching operation coordinate with military and civilian against the militants, maintaining intelligence gathering bodies and law and order situations, ensuring counter-terror wings of security security of foreign delegates and agencies.17 VVIPS, and protecting the high security zones in Quetta. However, So far, however, no concrete step has there is no training facility in been taken to that end. Apparently, Balochistan for the ATF. Instead, its the government struggles to find officers are sent to Islamabad’s Anti- funds for the proposed force. Terrorist Training School or Lahore’s Elite Police Training School. The last Analysis and discussion batch of ATF officers even received one-month extra training at the Currently the federal government Divisional Battle School of Pakistan has directed provincial governments Army in Quetta, in February 201514. to implement the NAP agenda and the provincial police forces have There are several forces with special taken some serious initiatives. The functional areas, too. For instance, in issue of better coordination is 2002, Special Investigations Group between federal and provincial (SIG) was created at the Federal governments, is another major issues Investigations Agency (FIA) to as the provinces may be expecting investigate cases of terrorism, bank grants and aid packages from frauds, and forgeries, and to trace Islamabad. informal money transaction.15 Combating terrorism is expensive, However, all these forces apparently exhaustive and required national will lack coordination of their anti- but indeed there are plenty of success terrorist efforts. That is why, NAP stories and Pakistani policy makers clearly called for setting up a federal may learn by studying and counter-terrorism force.16 evaluating different models and alter their needs accordingly. A concrete According to preliminary details, the counter terrorism strategy paper is 5000 strong force will work under the the need of the hour in order to federal ministry of defence and provide a clear roadmap and policy deployed in all provinces. Dedicated to fight terrorism, the force would

14 Syed Ali Shah, “PM, COAS attend 16 Mateen Haider, “Nawaz constitutes passing-out parade of ATF in Quetta,” special committee to implement National Dawn, February 19, 2015. Action Plan,” Dawn, December 26, 2014. 15Ismail Khan, “Pakistan to raise new 17“Pakistan to set up counter-terrorism anti-terrorism force,” Dawn, August 21, force to check funding of to militants,” 2003. The Indian Express, December 26, 2014.

Establishing a Counter Terrorism Force directive for provinces and law The Peruvian experience of tackling enforcement mechanisms. Shining Path could be taken as a poor man’s effort to counter the menace of There may be other ways to learn terrorism. Pakistan, equally poor in from other experienced nations resources and dealing with a having sufficient experience of plethora of terrorist groups could raising Special Forces such as take a leaf out of Peru’s book to Algeria, UK, Israel, Turkey, Peru, Sri minimize the level of terrorist threats. Lanka, Italy, France and Germany. Peru’s counter terrorism experience is affordable and manageable. Pakistani security forces could Pakistani policy makers may study benefit from Algerian security forces’ and evaluate Peruvian measures and experience in dealing with the carefully apply some of those in Islamist terrorist organizations. The Pakistan. In Peru, the government Algerians had been on offensive employed concrete counter terrorism against the Islamist terrorists and policy measures in order to reverse have managed to defeat them. Their the momentum of Shining Path, the modus operandi could be studied main primary terrorist group in and evaluated by Pakistani officers in action. Emergency was declared by strategizing a counter terrorism the parliament. National Intelligence model applicable to our situation. Service was empowered and Extreme repressive measures were overhauled, whereas police was taken by Algerian military and police tasked to tackle terrorism in urban to root out GIA, these measures areas and military in rural areas. To included targeted killings of GIA protect villages from the onslaught of sympathizers, donors, added with vengeful Shining Path militants disappearances of hundreds of GIA Committees of Self Defense were militants. Black sites were established across Peru. Some harsh established to detain and torture GIA and controversial measures were suspects. Algerian government also indeed taken by the Peruvian successfully exposed the jihadi military by destroying villages excesses and vices through mass sympathetic to the cause of Shining media. In the final phase of war the Path. Algerian government declared amnesty in case of unconditional Pakistan, despite its long-standing surrender. The amnesty scheme was moral and diplomatic support to part of Charter of Peace and National Palestinian cause, may attempt to Reconciliation. Many of the remnants learn some highly successful features of GIA immediately took advantage of Israeli counter terrorism policies. and surrendered before the Israel has managed to defeat a variety authorities. of organizations working against the interests of the state, within its borders. Pakistani policy makers, if

Comprehensive review of NAP not replicate all of Israeli CT policies, may endeavor to adopt some in order to root out the menace of terrorism in which more than 55,000 Pakistanis have lost their lives.