Lack of coordination among LEAs attributed to terrorists' attacks

The lack of co-ordination between intelligence agencies at the centre and provincial level is the main reason behind the failure to root out terrorists' sleeper cells that account for the recent rise in terror attacks across the country, official sources said. The sources said that formation of the Joint Intelligence Directorate (JID) to ensure effective co-ordination between all intelligence agencies, was recommended in the National Action Plan (NAP) to crackdown on countrywide terrorists' sleeper cells, supporters, facilitators and financers of the terrorist groups.
But the JID is yet to be fully functional that's why the ongoing intelligence based operations across the country have not achieved the desired results, they added. Since its approval in January 2015, major areas of NAP are not being effectively implemented with authorities identifying slow progress on several critical elements of NAP related to the civilian authorities, including revamping and reforming the criminal justice system, choking financing for terrorists and terror organizations, dealing firmly with sectarian terrorists, registration and regulation of seminaries, FATA reforms, Balochistan reconciliation and repatriation of Afghan refugees etc.
"These are some reasons behind the recent sudden rise in terror incidents across the country", an official source toldBusiness Recorder on condition of anonymity, adding that the government's focus on political issues notably Panama papers instead of ensuring implementation of NAP measures are also factors impeding the eradication of sleepers cells.
Starting from Parachinar on January 21, 2017 in which there were 25 fatalities, the terrorists continued to target other cities including Lahore on February 13, in which 13 people were killed, followed by Peshawar and Mohmand Agency attacks on February 15, killing a total of 8 people, Balochistan in which 3 Army personnel including a Captain were killed, the shrine of saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan on February 16, killing at least 90 devotees and injuring more than 200.
According to Aamir Rana, director at Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), who was a member of the expert group that assisted in drafting NAP, operation Zarb-e-Azb was conducted in tribal areas and the next logical step was to have been a crackdown against like-minded groups and their support base in Punjab, Sindh and other parts of the country.
For doing this, he added that the government had framed NAP but unfortunately there were few measures taken that would have ensured effective implementation of the plan. The most important NAP element was to conduct countrywide intelligence based operations, he pointed out adding although operations were conducted yet there was serious lack of co-ordination between different intelligence agencies.
"The sleeper cells are still active because there was serious lack of co-ordination between the intelligence agencies", he emphasised. To effectively eradicate the sleeper cells, he added, NACTA would have to be strengthened and a JID setup to ensure necessary co-ordination which has not been implemented so far. According to him it is the responsibility of provinces and centre to ensure co-ordination between intelligence agencies to effectively crackdown on sleeper cells, facilitators, supporters and financers of the terror outfits.