ISLAMABAD, April 17: The ministry of women development, social welfare and special education and Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP) are in the final stages to introduce Non-Profit Public Organizations (Governance and Support) Act 2003.

Reliable sources told Dawn that it was a matter of days when the proposed law would be presented before the cabinet for its formal approval.

They said Begum Shehnaz Wazir Ali, executive director PCP, had an indepth meeting with advisor to the prime minister on women development, Ms Nilofer Bakhtiar, in this regard on April 11 and agreed on the passage of the proposed law by the assembly to regularise the Non-Government Organizations (NGOs).

As per statics of the ministry of women development and social welfare, which originally is responsible for registration of the non-profit public welfare organizations throughout the country, around 80,000 national and international NGOs are working in the country. However, over the years, except registration laws - Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies Ordinance 1961 and Societies Registration Act 1860 - so far, there is no adequate public sector controlling mechanism for voluntary organizations.

Earlier, during the military government, the PCP after its countrywide consultations had recommended setting up of autonomous commissions at national and provincial levels for regularisation of the civil society organizations. However, owing to the difference of opinion between the then ministry of women development and the PCP, the process could not move forward and the entire exercise was rendered useless.

Sources said in a recent meeting, the PCP executive director had briefed Ms Bakhtiar on their initiatives and recommendations for the new law and expected an assurance and support orientation for the commissions rather than a control and policing one.

Ms Bakhtiar admitted that over the years the government had failed to regularise NGOs and time had come when a strict scrutiny of this sector was required so that organizations working for the good cause should be facilitated by the government. The ministry of women development has also arranged a similar meeting in the current week, which will finalise its consultation process before the law is presented before the cabinet.