PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has planned the speedy security clearance of national and international NGOs to address long delays in the execution of their development and other initiatives in the province.

The plan is part of a policy drafted to ‘regulate the issuance of security clearance and project NOCs to NGOs, monitor and evaluate their projects, and facilitate all stakeholders for the smooth implementation of their projects undertaken by NGOs.’

Under the proposed policy, which has yet to be approved by the cabinet for implementation, the NGOs will be bound to formally share the details of all their staff members, infrastructure and assets with the provincial government before getting permission to carry out projects.

The NGOs executing projects in KP, especially international ones, complain they have been struggling to get security clearance from the relevant agencies for operations in KP, especially since the 2011 killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.

They have taken up the matter with the government many times.

The draft policy, a copy of which is available with Dawn, will cover all NGOs, which either receive funds from registered international NGOs or UN bodies or get direct funds after due process or utilise their own resources or generate funds locally.

Move meant to address delays in execution of their projects

“The home and tribal affairs department shall grant security clearance/project NOC or extent NOC or reject after due process/conducting ground check/verification from special branch police,” it revealed.

The policy said the H&TA department might revoke or cancel an NOC issued to an NGO if it was found to be violating the terms set in the NOC or any other relevant law and rules. Also, the NGOs working for welfare of the internally displaced persons living in KP will be issued after clearance from 11th Corps.

Under the policy, the permission given by the Ministry of States and Frontier Region to NGOs for welfare of Afghan refugees living in KP will be considered valid authorisation.

“An NGO supervisory committee has to be formed to review and supervise the projects of NGOs and their NOCs. The secretary of the home and tribal affairs department will be chairman of the supervisory committee, while representatives of relief department, relevant department under which the project falls, special branch police and deputy secretary (political) home department will be its members.”

Under the policy, it will be binding for NGOs to share certain documents and information with the provincial home department for getting security clearance.

The documents include a verified copy of registration certificate from relevant registration authority, profile of the organisation, list of employees with complete address along with their computerised national identity cards, verified copy of NOC from the interior ministry in case the NGO has hired expert foreign national for its project.

“The NGO will also provide project proposal along with work plan and its estimated impact on population, list of technical, digital, electronic equipment and gadgets to be used in the proposed project, verified copy of lease agreement of offices, criteria for hiring permanent and project employees, detail of implementation partner and certificate from concerned department to avoid duplication of project, detail of previously implemented and other ongoing projects, if any.”

The policy stated that the NGOs would also submit an undertaking and affidavit that it would not list unregistered NGOs as its partners, not to use wireless equipment without valid licence and permission to work in collaboration with concerned district and local governments.

It added that the collection of donation by NGOs without obtaining NOC from the competent authority would not be allowed.

Also, the NGOs will have to submit annual audit report of their accounts and utilised funds conducted by recognised chartered accountant and impact upon the population of area as well as third party evaluation report about their undertaken projects.

Under the policy, the period of project NOC is extendable subject to the compliance of all government directives, policy instructions and laws regarding NGOs in Pakistan with sound reputation to be verified by the supervisory committee after the expiry of one year period or project.

The proposed policy has clear instructions for all administrative departments, relevant departments, autonomous bodies of the government, attached departments, local governments, district administration, cantonment bodies or any government entity shall not enter into MoU with any NGO prior to the issuance of NOC under this policy.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2017