ISLAMABAD - After facing severe criticism and allegations that the government succumbed to some foreign countries’ pressure and backtracked on its decision to immediately close operations of Save the Children in Pakistan, two ministers on Monday said that only Islamabad office of the international NGO was sealed and it still remains closed.
First Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the Senate and later Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan while speaking to media in his chamber said that the government had not reversed its decision of closing INGO as Islamabad office of Save the Children was sealed and it had not been unsealed. As for rest of the offices of the INGO, Nisar said things were being kept at a standstill as they were waiting for the decision of a special committee working on the issue of regulating the NGOs and INGOs.
On the other hand, Save the Children (STC) said on Monday its offices in Pakistan remained closed and its operations suspended, despite media reports the government had reversed an order halting its work in the country. STC spokesman Saeed Ahmad said they had closed their operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan before this issue arose.
The authorities sealed Save the Children’s offices last week, saying the charity was “working against the country”, and threatened to expel more foreign aid groups for supposedly undermining Pakistan’s national interest. Pakistan has toughened its policies towards international aid groups in recent years, accusing them of covering for spying operations.
Local media reports suggested the interior ministry had suspended its own order to halt the operations of the British-based international charity. The reports were based on a document circulating on social media which appeared to be a confidential interior ministry memorandum. But ministry officials were unable to confirm the authenticity of the document, which was dated Friday, and Save the Children’s offices in Islamabad remained under lock and key on Monday.
Interior ministry in its June 11 order had asked for closure of all the offices and operations of Save the Children in the country while the foreign staff of the international aid group had been asked to leave the country within 15 days. Later, the ministry in another order, on June 12, said, “The competent authority has desired that the action on the above (previous) letter may be held in abeyance till further orders.”
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar responding to a point of order in Senate said “Only Islamabad office of Save the Children was sealed... that is still sealed. Its offices in the provinces are still functional.” He said, “A high powered inter-ministerial committee led by Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi that has been tasked to streamline activities of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) will meet in next 24 hours to review the affairs of Save the Children.”
Dar informed the house that the committee had been constituted to regulate and streamline the activities of the INGOs and its recommendations were at the final stage. He said that all the countries have strict rules regarding operations of the INGOs and the government of Pakistan was also in the process to ensure their activities are in accordance with the national interest.
Earlier, Senator Saeed Ghani of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) questioned the government’s withdrawal of its decision of closure of Save the Children. He criticised interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan saying that two days ago he had said that Save the Children was involved in anti-state activities and announced to seal its offices and now reversed the decision. He asked the government to clarify its position and added either the minister was misinformed or government was forced by some foreign power to reverse its decision.
Interior Minister Ch Nisar while talking to reporters in his chamber reiterated that interior ministry had not backtracked on its decision of closure of Save the Children (STC). “Things are yet on the status quo,” he said. In the next two or three days, there would be clarity on STC and other INGOs issue as the government was finalising some parameters on their regulations,” he said. He informed reporters that it had been decided in today’s (Monday) meeting that meetings would be held in next two days consecutively to finalise some parameters. However, the detailed regulations would be announced by inter-ministerial committee later, he said.
Nisar said that the government from the last one and half year was struggling to bring the transparency in NGOs working. “We have already cancelled MoUs of some INGOs and their offices have also been sealed in the past,” he said. He said that the working of NGOs, both local and international, was being streamlined under three categories including Yellow and Red. Under yellow category, some NGOs are working out of their charter and jurisdiction and under red category some others are working against the national interest.
“I have proposed a monitoring mechanism for NGOs and those organisations that would not cross red lines would be retrieved to their original jurisdiction... I have also proposed that the regulations work of NGOs should be shifted from Economic Affairs Division of finance ministry to interior ministry,” Nisar said. He said that he would himself propose that children of ruling elite including those of judges, generals and politicians should not be employed in NGOs as they are used to influence the government.
An armed police officer guarding the offices told AFP on Monday they were still officially sealed. Save the Children spokesman Saeed Ahmad said they had received no word from the government about being allowed to resume their activities. “We have no communication, we have the same information which has been published in today’s newspapers. We welcome these news stories,” he said. The spokesman said that as of Monday, all the group’s offices in Pakistan were closed and all its activities suspended. “All the information we are getting is only through media, we don’t have any other information from any other source,” Ahmad said.