HRCP welcomes LHC verdict on NGOs

LAHORE: The HRCP has welcomed the Lahore High Court’s ruling under which the federal government’s 2022 policy requiring NGOs to register with the Economic Affairs Division if they are receiving foreign funds has been declared unlawful because it lacks legal cover.

A petition had been filed in February by the HRCP on the grounds that such policies violated NGOs’ right to association. This policy was framed some months after its 2013 precursor was declared invalid by the Sindh High Court in February 2022. This is a key decision for civil society organizations and for civic spaces in general. Many NGOs’ operations have been curtailed by what is an intrusive policy imposing onerous requirements and giving security agencies the authority to arbitrarily deny organizations clearance. It is also worth-pointing out that the State Bank of Pakistan, in its response to the petition, clarified that it had not instructed banks to withhold NGOs’ funds if they were not registered with the EAD.