The appointment of Major General Faisal Naseer as National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) for three years has once again put the spotlight on an institution created over a decade ago with an ambitious mandate to coordinate Pakistan's fight against terrorism and extremism.

The Establishment Division notification issued on Friday said Faisal Naseer had been appointed National Coordinator on secondment under Section 9(1) of the NACTA Act, 2013, for three years with immediate effect. His appointment comes at a time when Nacta continues to have a wide statutory mandate but remains largely dependent on officers posted to it from other government institutions.

Nacta was established in 2008 as an administrative unit of the Ministry of Interior and was later given administrative and financial autonomy under the NACTA Act, 2013. The law created it as a body corporate answerable to a Board of Governors and tasked it with coordinating national counter-terrorism and counter-extremism efforts.

Despite the importance of these responsibilities, Nacta has struggled over the years to develop the institutional standing of a powerful national security organisation, frequently relying on deputed officers and navigating challenges related to its high-level meetings and policy implementation.