PESHAWAR, Sept 27: Denouncing the growing incidents of violence against non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the NWFP, the Alliance for the Protection of Human Rights (APHR) on Thursday called upon the authorities to provide protection to these bodies, otherwise they would wind up their operations in the restive areas.

A seven-member delegation of the APHR called upon the NWFP home secretary, Badshah Gul Wazir, at his office to convey concerns at the deteriorating environment the NGOs were facing and demanded protection against regressive elements.

The secretary gave a patient hearing to the delegation and pledged all-out cooperation. The meeting was held in the wake of the recent attack on the office of the Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) in Dera Ismail Khan during which six armed men took away four vehicles and other valuables from the office after thrashing the security guard.

The delegation comprised Rukhshanda Naz (Aurat Foundation), Mariam Bibi (Khwendo Kor), Yasmeen Begum (Shirkat Gah), Sarwat Jehan, Aijaz Durrani (SPO), Imran Khan (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan) and Qaiser Haleem (Human Resource Management and Development Centre). They informed the home secretary of the volatile situation faced by the NGOs in parts of the NWFP and demanded swift measures.

Citing different incidents of violence against the NGOs, civil society representatives said the situation was going from bad to worse for rights-based and service delivery organisations, especially those working for the good of girls and women.

They told the home secretary that the attack on the SPO office in D.I. Khan and decampment with the organisation’s assets, including four vehicles, expensive equipment and data was simply a brazen act of terror and a challenge to the writ of the government. They said the NGOs would be left with no other option but to stop their work if the government failed in providing protection to them against the culprits.