Adopt common ATS structure to fight terrorism: Amit Shah to states

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday urged states to soon adopt a common structure developed by the NIA to fight terrorism, saying it provides all an opportunity for uniform preparation at every level while emphasising that acting in silos is like using guns without bullets.

Inaugurating the 'Anti-Terrorism Conference-2025' organised by the NIA, Shah also said they were planning to launch a "360-degree assault on organised crime" as such networks automatically come into contact with terrorist organisations when their leaders flee the country.

Releasing Organised Crime Network Database and Lost/Looted and Recovered Weapon Database at the event, he said the database of terrorists and criminals should be made a core asset of the zero-terror policy and asked the state police chiefs to implement this database framework in letter and spirit.

He also spoke about about Pahalgam terror attack, which he said was an attempt by terrorists to disrupt communal harmony in the country and deliver a blow to the new era of development and tourism that has begun in Kashmir, and Delhi car bomb attack. He said both cases were "not ordinary policing" but "outstanding examples of watertight investigation".

He said that the results of the investigation into the Pahalgam terrorist attack will put Pakistan in the dock on international platforms.

Referring to the NIA developing a common ATS (anti-terrorism squad) structure that has been shared with state police forces, he said it provides an opportunity for uniform preparation at every level when it is implemented across the country.

"A common ATS structure for the police across the country is extremely important, and all Director Generals of Police from the states should implement it as soon as possible," he said while emphasising that states should use NIDAAN and NATGRID investigations to ensure that cases are "not investigated in isolation" so as to bring to light the invisible links in the cases.

Insisting that everyone should move forward with the principle of "Duty to Share" instead of "Need to Know", he said central agencies and state police have developed good use of technology but warned that "technology developed in silos and data collected in silos are like a gun without bullets".

He said the common ATS structure and operational uniformity give the country an advantage in prosecuting terrorists. "Unless we achieve operational uniformity, we cannot make an accurate assessment of threats, make proper use of intelligence sharing, or carry out coordinated counter-actions," he said.

He said it would be better if all data can communicate with each other and are created using the same technology. He directed the officials of the Ministry, NIA and Intelligence Bureau to deliberate on developing a seamless national-level framework for technology and data.

Noting that the landscape of terrorism is now changing due to the use of technology, he said active participation in the Multi Agency Centre and the National Memory Bank should be ensured.

He also said they should move forward with trial-in-absentia without fear of the controversies associated with it. This will force fugitives to return to the country, he said, adding that all central agencies together with the state police, should form a ‘Team India’ that works effectively for national security.