Pakistan cancels registration for NGOs it believes were harboring agents

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) on Friday finally canceled registrations for the US-based Save the Children organization and UK-based The British Council. A total of 23 non-government organizations (NGOs) have been canceled, and most of them are from the United States. The Pakistan government gave more than 3 chances to these NGOs to furnish their accounts and audit reports, but the SECP received nothing proper from these top international NGOs, claimed sources in the Pakistan ministry.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, the action against the foreign NGOs was taken during evaluation of documents and accounts as part of implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP). Both above-mentioned NGOs had no proper audit system, account details, or even a full list of its full-time and half-time employees, claimed sources in the ministries.

According to the SECP, which officially operates as a watchdog of all private and non-government organizations, these organizations have repeatedly failed to submit their audit accounts despite several notices.

The NGOs whose registrations have been canceled include Save the Children, Al Haya Trust, War Child, The British Council, American Institute for Research and Behavioural Sciences, Global Partner, Global Relief Foundation, and Overseas Development Corporation.

Sources claimed foreign NGOs failed to provide records regarding why payments were released to some people who were not on their salary statements.

Intelligence agencies in Pakistan believe that these organizations were harboring “agents” by giving such payments, and these agents were working against the country (Pakistan). It may be mentioned that Pakistan had tremendous pressure from the Department of State of the United States, and Save the Children was allowed to work in Pakistan but only in two provinces when Pakistan had extreme pressure from the United States. However, intelligence agencies and a special committee working on an NGO kept working and sent all records to the SECP for financial forensic process.