NGOs wind up activities in Bajaur

Published January 30, 2006

KHAR, Jan 29: Non-governmental organisations wound up their activities in the Bajaur Agency after receiving threats from various militant outfits, sources said.

Religious organisations had warned NGOs last Sunday to wrap up their activities in the agency in the wake of the Jan 13US air strike on residential compounds in Damadola.

After the attack, furious protesters had damaged offices of various NGOs in Khar and other areas of the Bajaur Agency.

Sources said that the federal government-funded National Commission for Human Development, Pak-American Development Project and other foreign-funded bodies closed their offices and withdrew staff from the agency because of security concerns.

Officials said that the agency’s political administration had provided security to the NGOs but its management was reluctant to continue activities in the area.

An official said that NGOs would not resume its activities, unless normalcy returned to the area.