The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has initiated a security audit of all local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating across the country in accordance with the National Action Plan (NAP).
Authorities will take action against those NGOs which are involved in ‘suspicious’ activities, reports said, adding that the previous record of the organisations and their actions will also be closely monitored during the audit.
According to reports, inquiries will focus on alliance between NGOs operating in the country and their links to other countries.
An investigation will also be carried out regarding personnel who entered the country and who left during the past three years, the reports said, adding that the law enforcement agencies will initiate action against those NGOs involved in suspicious activities.
Earlier this week, the federal government rejected registration applications of 42 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) due to objections raised by the agencies as the country tightens control over the inflow of international funding after being placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list.
These organisations had submitted applications for signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Economic Affairs Division (EAD).
The MoUs entitled NGOs to obtain foreign funding and open bank accounts. According to the EAD spokesperson, the government rejected registration applications of these organisations.
“The decision has been taken by a committee strictly following a policy on registration of NGOs,” said Additional EAD Secretary Zulfiqar Haider. “It is the collective decision of the committee and no particular department.”
Haider said Pakistan was cognisant of its international commitments, including the ones with the FATF.
Last year, the task force had declared Pakistan’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regimes non-compliant.
