Amit Shah Opens PRAHAAR Counter-Terror Conference in Delhi

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah inaugurated a national conference on 'PRAHAAR - CT Policy and Strategy' in New Delhi on 28 September 2026. PRAHAAR is the counter-terrorism framework of the Union Government, and the conference was convened to carry its seven pillars from policy documents down to the working level of the police.

Who took part

The Union Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary attended, together with the heads of the Central Armed Police Forces and Central Police Organisations. Directors General of Police drawn from 15 states and the Anti-Terrorism Squad chiefs of every state and Union Territory were present in the hall, while the remaining state police chiefs and cutting-edge field officers joined the sessions online.

The seven pillars examined

Each pillar of the framework was taken up in turn, with a whole-of-society approach running through the discussion.

A new Extradition Portal

The Home Minister launched an Extradition Portal meant to knit together and speed up the work of bringing wanted persons back from abroad. He told the gathering that between 2019 and 2026 the government had secured the return of 288 fugitive criminals from 36 countries, and asked state police forces to raise dedicated teams that would pursue such cases alongside the central agencies.

The Shahzad Bhatti network

Citing the gains from closer coordination between agencies, the Minister said that more than 40 modules of the Shahzad Bhatti network, which ran weapons, explosives and narcotics across the border, had been dismantled. More than 100 FIRs were registered and 350 people were arrested in 15 states. The network itself has been declared a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

What the Minister asked for

Shah said the government follows a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism in every form. He called for a continuous study of terror incidents so that a firm PRAHAAR mechanism can be built for the next 10 years, for the framework to reach the thana or police station level, and for an automated counter-terrorism response to be institutionalised at every tier. Each pillar, he added, must deliver measurable results, and no stakeholder should be the reason for a delay in action.