Six NGOs closed in Shangla over NOC issue

PESHAWAR

SHAMIM SHAHID

The administration in far flung mountainous Shanga District has sealed the offices of six non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in development, welfare and advocacy projects with technical and financial support of various foreign countries and international financial institutions.

Shangla Deputy Commissioner Abdul Kabir along with other officials raided the offices of these NGOs in Alpuri and other places. The DC has found what he told media, disappointing responses of concerned NGOs officers and members regarding no objection certificates (NOCs) from both federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments and ordered immediate closures of these organisations.

The closed organisations were identified as Community World Services Asia, Pakistan Mission Society, Help in Hand, LASOONA, Nida-e-Pakistan and ISDWO. Lasoona is headed by a former provincial minister and sitting MPA Quami Watan Party Ms Meraj Humayoon Khan.

District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) Sulaiman Shah accompanied the DC team during the action. Talking to this scribe, Sulaiman Shah said, “All these six organisations were not having NOC’s. Similarly, security issue of these organisations and their employees was the second reason of their closures.”

In reply to a question, Sulaiman Shah said that all these closed organisations were local (national) but performing responsibilities with financial support from a number of foreign countries and organisations.

A retired educationist and active member of civil society Sajid Shah has shown concern over closure of these NGOs saying, “Whatever might be reservations and objections of government but all these bodies were sincerely involved in welfare and development activities in Shangla like backward district. He said that government needed to review this decision.

Tribal NGOs Consortium Chairman of Zar Ali Afridi said that on the pretext of NOCs and security, a large number of foreign and foreign-funded NGOs stopped working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA but all such bodies were welcomed in Punjab and Sindh. He urged the government to stop this discrimination.