ISLAMABAD: The ministry of interior on Wednesday allowed the disapproved international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) to resume work till a final decision is taken on their appeals.
According to an issued statement, interior minister Ahsan Iqbal has issued the order while keeping in view the present operational affairs of INGOs and the country’s image at the international level.
It may be mentioned here that the INGOs are entitled to appeal within 90 days of their registration’s disapproval.
If the appeal is rejected, the INGOs will have to leave the country within 60 days.
Earlier, the interior ministry in December 2017 had written to 29 INGOs including Plan International, ActionAid, and Marie Stopes while warning them that their applications to continue working in the country had been discarded and they were to leave within 60 days.
According to the officials of the disapproved INGOs, 60 days to wrap up multiple projects was a short time.
INGOs had been working in the country after signing “open-ended agreements” with the government, but in November 2013 the government introduced a new policy to streamline the functioning of the international trusts in the country.
More than 150 NGOs including a majority of international trusts had submitted relevant registration documents by early 2014.
In 2014, former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar while unveiling a new policy for INGOs to operate had made it compulsory for the international trusts to acquire the government’s consent to gather funds and operate.