ISLAMABAD: Civil society organisations have demanded that the government, particularly the interior ministry, revisit its decision of rejecting the registration applications of several international non-governmental organisations (INGOS), which have been asked to leave without plausible justification.

In a statement released on Tuesday, national civil society organisations expressed serious concerns over the reported rejection of registration applications of several international organisations.

“We believe that this decision would negatively impact country’s development agenda and its image internationally,” the statement said.

It says INGOs support Pakistan’s development agenda and progress towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals.

Members of the civil society, representing the Pakistan Civil Society Forum, Pakistan Human Rights Defenders Network and other national organisations and regional networks including 20 civil society organisations have endorsed the statement and said the termination of the registration of over 18 INGOs last week was unfair.

The statement says that the world over, INGOs work in partnership with the government and local civil society organisations, supporting service delivery, advocacy, research and capacity building initiatives on education, healthcare, humanitarian work, water, legal reforms and the rule of law. They also work on and support various rights.

Civil society members say Pakistan is faced with serious challenges that include 24pc of the population living below the poverty line, 22 million children out of school, over 19 million children in child labour, over 40pc of children up to the age of five being underweight due to malnutrition and an unemployed rate of 5.7pc.

In 2017 alone, the INGO sector as a whole reached 34 million people with humanitarian relief and development assistance. Ordering these organisations to arbitrarily wrap up also puts a brake to their work for the marginalised.

It has been stated that the move also violates the framework of the Right to Freedom of Association, which is enshrined in Article 17 of the Constitution and guaranteed by major international conventions on rights such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 22) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 20).

The statements also added that the government has not given any reason for turning down the registration application of these organisations.

The whole process of registration of INGOs is marred with serious flaws, it says and that the decision may also negatively impact many serious international processes the country is undergoing.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2018