LAHORE: The Punjab Charities Commission (PCC) is maintaining a regular contact with 8,345 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating across the province, training their staff to prevent risks of money laundering and terror-financing, while introducing an audit management system to promote transparency and curb misuse by terrorist groups.
This was stated at the 26th meeting of the commission held under the chairmanship of Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi to review monitoring and performance of charitable organisations and strengthen regulatory oversight.
Housing Secretary and PCC Commissioner Noorul Amin Mengal attended the meeting online, while Commissioner Dr Usama Siddique was also present. Chief Executive Officer Col Shehzad Amir briefed the meeting on performance and future plans of the commission.
Participants were briefed that the commission had established a monitoring and accountability mechanism to oversee charitable organisations, their administrators and beneficiaries and that suspicious activities trigger inquiries and audits.
In case of violations, permission granted to an organisation to collect donations may be revoked.
The meeting was informed that the commission was guiding charitable organisations through a comprehensive system that includes a chatbot and a risk-based assessment framework, besides providing guidance, training and consultation to their trustees and staff.
A briefing was also given on inquiries and enforcement actions initiated against the NGOs found violating the law.
Addressing the meeting, Dr Qazi said establishing a peaceful and harmonious society was among the foremost priorities of the Punjab government and registration of all charitable organisations with the commission was mandatory.
He said mutual trust, transparency and cooperation were essential to building strong relations between government and civil society, adding that the commission was working to maintain public trust in charitable organisations while protecting the rights and interests of both organisations and their intended beneficiaries.
The home secretary directed all charitable organisations to ensure strict compliance with law in utilisation of charitable funds and directed the commission to continue fulfilling its regulatory responsibilities while facilitating and guiding these entities.
Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2026
