Government Asked 29 INGOs to Leave Pakistan

The interior ministry of Pakistan has asked nearly 29 international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) to close their organization and leave the country within 60 days. Their applications to continue working in Pakistan has also been dismissed by the ministry. The ministry has asked the INGOs like Plan International, ActionAid and Marie Stopes to leave the country without describing any valid reason.

While speaking on the government’s order, Iftikhar A Nizami, the country director of ActionAid said that it will be very difficult for them to finish all their ongoing projects within 60 days. However, the director said that his organization has always been respected the government’s decision and this time they will also obey the order.

However, the ActionAid country director raised the question on what went wrong that force the government to ask them to shut their mission in Pakistan without even any clarification. Stressing on his experience in running mission in Pakistan, Iftikhar said that the organization has been working in the country since 1990 and they obeyed all directions and advice suggested by the respective governments.

He said that they have received the latter of expulsion on December 5. The government asked the organization to submit some papers and documents it has generated between 2013 and 2014 as per the guidelines of new policies, which was successfully followed by the ActionAid, Iftikhar added. He also said that his organization always tried to serve the people of this country and they have not done anything that can tarnish the image of Pakistan.

In 2014, then interior minister Chaudhry Nisar introduced a policy for all INGOs in the country that said that NGOs working against country’s policies will have their licensed cancelled.