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Thursday March 28, 2024

SC summons details of NGOs operating in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has summoned details of Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating in Pakistan.

The apex court has directed the federal and provincial governments to provide details regarding NGOs. The court has also sought the registration and monitoring mechanism for NGOs along with also details of funding.

NGOs will report to Interior Ministry

On Monday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali

By TICKER
June 23, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has summoned details of Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating in Pakistan.

The apex court has directed the federal and provincial governments to provide details regarding NGOs. The court has also sought the registration and monitoring mechanism for NGOs along with also details of funding.

NGOs will report to Interior Ministry

On Monday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said all matters related to NGOs will be dealt by the Ministry of Interior.

Nisar added that all NGOs in Pakistan must act according to the laws of the country, adding that no longer will the cases of NGOs be monitored by the Economic Affairs Division.

The interior minister further said that during the last 10 to 12 days, concerns of the Pakistan government with regards to NGOs operating in the country have been discussed.

He added that there are thousands of NGOs operating in Pakistan while about 40 percent still remain unregistered.

Nisar went on to say that currently no laws exist to regulate NGOs in the country, however, the federal government is working on formulating such policies.

He also said that a span of six months is being provided for registration as well as to work within the mandate that does not go against national and Islamic values. He said registration would be a simple and online process.

The federal minister added that the authorities would not provide visas to organisations before registration and checking of documents.

Save The Children still shut

Regarding the NGO ‘Save The Children’, the interior minister said there has been no decision to lift the ban on the organisation and their office in Islamabad still remains shut.

He added that those NGOs who have violated rules will be stopped from operating in Pakistan, adding that designated security areas such as FATA and Gilgit-Baltistan will be out of bounds for NGOs.

Nisar went on to say that today is the first time he was speaking about Save The Children and 90 percent of media misrepresented the news regarding the NGO.