ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The federal government has convened an inter-ministerial meeting in Islamabad on Monday to formulate a cohesive strategy to regulate working of the local and foreign Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) operating in Pakistan.
The meeting will be presided over by the Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan while it will be attended among others by representatives of Ministries of Interior, Finance, Economic Affairs and Foreign Affairs.
It comes after the interior minister suspended its own orders to shut down international aid organisation ‘Save the Children’s’ operations in Pakistan.
“The competent authority has desired that action on above letter [to seal the charity] may be held in abeyance till further orders,” said a confidential memo issued on June 12.
Earlier on June 11, the authorities sealed the Islamabad office of the ‘Save the Children’ and ordered its foreign staff to leave the country. They claimed that the organization was involved in anti-state activities.
Later, the US Department of State expressed concern over the closure of the ‘Save the Children’.
“It’s certainly a matter of concern to us. Save the Children is an international nongovernment organization. They do important work,” the Director Press Office Jeff Rathke told newsmen in Washington on June 12.
On the same day, the interior minister Chaudhry Nisar said while taking to media representatives in Islamabad that any domestic or NGOs pursuing the foreign agenda against the national interests will not be allowed to operate in Pakistan.
“We do not want to impose any ban on the NGOs but they will have to respect the code of conduct and the charter of registration,” the minister said.
‘Save the Children’ was in the past also accused of being linked with the US spy agency CIA in the search of former Al-Qaeda Chief Osama Bin Laden. However, the NGO denies such accusations.
