MINUTES OF NIOC’S 21st ADVISORY BOARD MEETING
The 21st Advisory Board Meeting of NIOC was held virtually on 02 July 2021. The following participated: Tariq Parvez, Zahid Hussain, Samina Ahmed, Jawaid Akhtar, Zubair Habib, Tariq Khosa, Ejaz Hussain, Kashif Noon, Ali Nekokara, Saroop Ijaz, Ammar Jaffri and Hassan Sardar.
Director NIOC Tariq Khosa informed the Board that NIOC as a project has its own platform of Centre for Governance Research (CGR) with effect from 01 July 2021 and would no longer operate from PIPS platform. He expressed his gratitude to Director PIPS Amir Rana for the support provided to launch NIOC in November 2019 and sustain it till June 2021. CGR and PIPS will continue professional collaboration on issues of mutual professional interest.
Director Khosa informed the Board that GI Resilience Fund-approved study on Serious and Organized Crime in Pakistan was launched from 1 July and will continue till 31 December 2021. Timelines for the study were shared with the board. Following members of team were nominated to lead different categories of OC: Tariq Khosa: Illicit Finance: Money Laundering and Terror Financing; Ejaz Hussain: Drug Trafficking and Illicit Weapons; Kashif Noon: Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking; Ammar Jaffri: Cyber Crimes and Online Child Abuse. Saroop Ijaz will examine laws dealing with all the categories of OCs under study and prepare case studies while also identifying any gaps in the laws. Tariq Parvez will give strategic advice to the team for the study.
Team Leader Ejaz Hussain heading a 3-month study on Connectivity and Criminality apprised about the project progress. Initial two phases in May and June 2021 stood completed and the study had entered the final phase in July 2021.
Monthly OC Watch for June 2021 will be submitted by Amir Rana soon. This would complete his assigned task from January to June 2021.
The monthly CE Watch for June 2021 was issued by DD NIOC Ejaz Hussain.
Monthly NIOC Newsletter for June 2021 was issued by the Director and Manager Administration.
Director Khosa suggested carrying out a key interview every month with a known personality or a professional of national or international standing from the platform of CGR/NIOC.
Director CGR/NIOC will visit Islamabad on 12-13 July 2021 for meetings with key stakeholders.