24 July 2004	Saturday	06 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

ISLAMABAD, July 23: The federal government on Friday conceded before the Senate that no regulatory framework existed to monitor thousands of NGOs working in the country, especially those funded by the international donors.

On insistence of senators from the MMA, the advisor to the prime minister on women development and social welfare, Nilofar Bakhtiar, was bailed out by the chairman, Muhammadmian Soomro, who gave a hint to the advisor that the government was working on a regulatory framework in this regard.

The advisor said at present there was no law governing the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which allowed or disallowed them to receive direct funding from the international donor agencies. She expressed her inability to give details about the working of the NGOs by shifting the responsibility to the provincial governments.

"This (Ministry of Women development and Social Welfare) does not monitor the activities of the NGOs. It is the responsibility of social welfare departments of the respective provinces," the advisor asserted.

Emphasising the need for regulating the NGOs, Senator Prof Ibrahim said it would be in the national interest to monitor their activities which sometimes staged protests against the government but continued to get the foreign funding.

In a written reply submitted to the upper house of the parliament, the advisor said, Article 10 of the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies (Registration and Control), Ordinance, 1961 empowered the provincial and federal registration authorities to oversee and supervise the activities of the NGOs.

However, she admitted that under the existing set of rules available with the ministry there was no such law whereby NGOs working with the international donor agencies could be monitored. But, the NGOs registered under the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies Ordinance (VSWAO) 1961 are required to submit their audited accounts to their respective registration authorities.

The ministry of women development and social welfare deals with two laws regarding the operation of NGOs and trusts; VSWAO, 1961 and Charitable Endowment Act, 1890. According to the statistics placed before the Senate, as many as 14,342 NGOs are registered through VSWAO, 1961 and 19 trusts/foundations have been registered under the Charitable Endowment Act, 1890.

To another question, Ms Bakhtiar said, at present 57 centres were working under the directorate general of special education and rehabilitation of special children throughout the country.

These are federal special education centres, 44; national training centre for special persons, one; national institute of special education, one; national library and resource centre, one; national braille press, one; national mobility and independent training centre, one; vocational training centres for disabled, four; vocational rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons, four.

About the question that what steps had been taken by the ministry to protect the dignity and honour of womenfolk in the country, the advisor referred to the national policy for development and empowerment of women.