Maj Gen Faisal Naseer appointed to lead Nacta for 3 years
The appointment was approved by the federal government and announced through a notification issued by the Establishment Division.
Maj Gen Naseer will take the position under Section 9(1) of the National Counter Terrorism Authority Act, 2013. His appointment is being made on a secondment basis and will take effect immediately.
The notification said he would serve under the standard terms and conditions of the assignment until further orders.
Why the appointment matters
An Nacta official said there had been a proposal to place an experienced army or intelligence officer in charge of the authority.
The official suggested that the decision could help bring stronger strategic and operational experience to an organisation that has faced difficulties in developing an effective counter-terrorism strategy.
Nacta was established to serve as a central platform for coordinating Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism.
However, the authority has struggled over the years to fully perform the role originally planned for it. Instead of becoming a strong coordination body, it has often functioned mainly as a policy and administrative institution.
The latest appointment therefore represents a notable change from the authority’s usual leadership pattern.
Naseer’s previous intelligence role
Before moving to Nacta, Maj Gen Faisal Naseer had been serving as DG Counter-Intelligence since 2022.
He took the position shortly after being promoted to the rank of major general.
The counter-intelligence assignment is sometimes described as the leadership of the ISI’s counter-intelligence wing. However, the role is more accurately associated with the agency’s Internal Wing.
The Internal Wing deals with domestic security and political matters and, because of its responsibilities, regularly interacts with important state institutions and power centres.
His move from this role to Nacta has attracted attention because of the nature of his previous assignment.
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Nacta has faced leadership changes
Nacta has undergone repeated changes in its senior leadership since its establishment.
More than a dozen national coordinators have headed the authority, most of whom have come from the police service.
Maj Gen Naseer’s appointment is therefore different from the pattern seen in previous years.
The authority was originally intended to operate as a “one-window operation” for coordinating national counter-terrorism efforts.
In practice, however, Nacta has not developed into the powerful command and coordination institution envisaged under the law.
Its limited ability to implement decisions across various security and law enforcement organisations has remained one of the major challenges.
