Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the establishment of the National Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centre (NIFTAC) to strengthen Pakistan’s counter-terrorism response and improve coordination among civilian and military intelligence agencies.
According to Dawn News, the newly approved centre will operate under the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and is aimed at enhancing the exchange of intelligence and streamlining threat assessments at both federal and provincial levels. Sources said NIFTAC’s first director will be a serving military officer.
Officials familiar with the development stated that the new institution will play a central role in bridging gaps between various intelligence outfits and will incorporate focal persons from multiple ministries. Offices of the centre will be established in all four provinces to better address regional threats.
In addition to improving intelligence coordination, NIFTAC will also be tasked with drafting action plans and recommending legal reforms to counter emerging security challenges.
The federal government had earlier appointed Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, as the country’s new National Security Adviser (NSA), making him Pakistan’s tenth NSA and the first serving ISI chief to hold the position concurrently.
The office of the National Security Adviser had remained vacant since April 2022, following the ouster of the PTI government after former Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a vote of confidence. At the time, Moeed Yusuf was serving as NSA.
These developments come amid heightened tensions with India following an attack in the tourist town of Pahalgam in Indian-occupied Kashmir, after which New Delhi levelled baseless allegations against Pakistan, further escalating the situation.
