NGOs, welfare bodies’ registration: Punjab Charities Commission to be linked with other provinces’ commissions

LAHORE: The Home Department has decided to interlink the Punjab Charities Commission, established for registration of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social welfare bodies, with the commissions of other provinces.

Under the new mechanism, the NGOs and welfare organisations would not have to undergo all process afresh for their registration in any other province after their registration in Punjab. The decision was made after the NGOs and charity organisations working at inter-province level expressed their reservations over demand for provision of all documents afresh in other provinces after their registration in Punjab.

Earlier, the Punjab Charities Commission had helped other province create web portals for their charity commissions. Now the Punjab Charities Commission and database of other provinces’ commissions would be interlinked, which would be helpful for NGOs to get themselves registered in other provinces of the country in just one to two months, instead of years. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Zafar Nasrullah told this correspondent that it was mandatory for every NGO or social welfare organisation working in Punjab to get itself registered with the Punjab Charities Commission. He said so far around 6,000 organisations have applied online for registration, 5,000 have provided their complete documents and other information, and 3,000 have been issued registration certificates after verification of their documents.