Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Friday that a new body "National Counter-Terrorism Authority" (NACTA) has been established to formulate and implement a comprehensive and effective counter-terrorism strategy, the official news agency APP reported.

Briefing the newsmen, Malik said the institution will keep data of terrorists, their handlers, trainers and other necessary details. It will also benefit from the experience of Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka in the field of de-radicalization and jail reforms.

He said presently scrutiny of about 2,000 persons is underway to determine how many to face trial and how many to be de-radicalized.

The minister said that there is proof about collusion of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaida and banned organizations like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Muhammad in acts of terrorism in the country.

Referring to the recent surge in acts of terrorism, Malik said following success of the agencies in Swat of North West Frontier Province and tribal areas the hostile elements have brought into action their second tier cadres to destabilize the country.

Malik said the agencies are doing their job well and only the police of federal capital Islamabad have arrested 76 suspected suicide bombers.

He said the crisis management cell of the ministry collects and analyses the information on daily basis and pass on the data to relevant provinces or agencies for further action. So far, the cell has communicated 568 alerts to the agencies concerned averting a number of potential terrorist acts.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Friday visited interior ministry and chaired a meeting to review interior ministry performance and counter-terrorism measures.

Gilani has directed interior ministry to eliminate impression that there is lack of effective strategy against terrorism and urged to make intelligence more effective.

Gilani said law and order is responsibility of provincial governments. He directed the interior ministry to improve exchange of information and chalk out anti terror strategy.

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