September 27, 2007	Thursday	Ramazan 14, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: Leading civil society organisations on Wednesday threatened to halt their operations throughout the country if the government failed to stem the increasing number of attacks on non-governmental organisations by extremists in the NWFP.

A meeting convened to discuss the response of the civil society to Tuesday’s (September 25) attack on the Dera Ismail Khan offices of Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) also decided to convene a roundtable conference of NGOs, donor agencies, UN agencies and other stakeholders to develop a consensus on the issue of stopping all aid work in the country. The conference would also prepare a strategy for countering growing extremism in the country.

UN agencies, which bore the brunt of extremist attacks earlier this year in Bagh, were also represented at the meeting.

SPO official Malik Shahbaz told this reporter after the meeting that an attempt would be made to ask the government in the most unequivocal terms “if they want us or not.”

While NGOs here sounded threatening tone, the government gave a cold shoulder to their protest. A delegation of Alliance for Protection of Human Rights, comprising national NGOs, sought a meeting with NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai to discuss the security of aid workers but their request was declined.

NGOs working in NWFP have been increasingly targeted by the extremists and almost a dozen incidents of attacks have been reported during the last couple of months.

Some of the noteworthy incidents are attack on Save the Children (US) offices in Battagram; attack on Sungi employees between Mansehra and Battagram, abduction of an SPO driver in D.I Khan; snatching of vehicles of Khewandar Khor (D.I.Khan), Sarhad Rural Support Programme (near Kohat), and SPO (D.I.Khan); and burning of a National Rural Support Programme vehicle near Bannu.

In the latest attack on SPO offices in Bannu, four vehicles were snatched and the assailants also made away with office equipment.

Threatening letters are being received by the aid agencies for the past few months.

Mr Shahbaz said SPO had also been getting threatening letters for the past three months and the government agencies were informed about them, but they preferred to turn a blind eye to the issue.

CONDEMNATION: Aurat Foundation’s Naeem Mirza saw the attack on SPO as an attack on the entire civil society and forces of change, moderation and progressive ideals in this society. “We condemn this cowardly act of the retrogressive elements who are scared by the courageous efforts of the civil society organisations for social justice.”

ActionAid Pakistan expressed its concern over the incident and said the heinous crime must be condemned publicly.

An SDPI representative said we should collectively devise our response and plan of action.

Pattan’s Sarwar Bari looked at the attack as part of a bigger plan of the religious groups to eliminate civil society from NWFP.

Sungi’s Arifa Mazhar called for a wider response including the international organisations.

Wasim Wagha of Centre for Indigenous People of Indus said the attack should be seen in the broader context of deteriorating law and order situation in the area.

Nasreen Azhar of Women Action Forum said there seems to be complete lawlessness in the area.