IN line with Pakistan’s compliance with certain financial reporting requirements, the provincial government had enacted the Sindh Trusts Act, 2020, which required mandatory registration of certain private charitable trusts before they may become functional. While the legislation may be laudable, its execution has seriously had a discouraging effect on those planning to create a private trust for charitable purposes. This is so because the registration process is long-winding and bureau-cratic unless, of course, a non-charitable contribution is made to those concerned.

An application for registration is made to the Registrar of Trusts (Secretary Industries, Government of Sindh) which is then leisurely forwarded to the Home Department for police (Special Branch) clearance to verify the background and criminal record of the members of the trust. This takes months unless you are seriously well connected. Will the relevant authorities kindly look into this matter?

Muneer A. Malik
Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2026