Govt proscribes INGO for ‘dubious activities’

Decision to ban Al-Rahmah Welfare Trust Organisation taken by cabinet in Sept

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government has imposed a ban on Al-Rahmah Welfare Trust Organisation, an international non-government organisation (INGO), due to its alleged involvement in dubious activities in Pakistan.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the federal cabinet held by end of last month.

During the meeting, the Interior Division informed that cabinet that a security agency had forwarded a report about the dubious activities of the mentioned INGO with a request for its proscription.

It was pointed out that the organisation was an INGO working on charity for betterment of orphans, widows and the downtrodden people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria and elsewhere.



James Alexander MxLintock aka Yaqoob Mansoor Al-Rashidi – a dual national of Pakistan and UK – is the INGO’s organiser. Al-Rashidi had been detained by militants once but was subsequently released.

The cabinet was briefed that relevant documents were referred to the provincial secretaries, the chief secretary of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and the Islamabad chief commissioner for determining the legal status of the INGO.

The AJK home department reported that the said organisation was registered and working at three places in AJK. However, it was not registered in the Khyber-Pakhtunkwa (K-P).

The cabinet was further informed that the activities of the organisation were illegal and attracted provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Moreover, the federal government was empowered to proscribe it on the report and recommendations of security agencies.

Later, a summary was submitted to the cabinet to proscribe the INGO for alleged involvement in dubious activities in Pakistan.

During the course of discussion, the cabinet observed that security of the country could not be compromised.  It also stressed the need for reviewing all laws that would strengthen the enforcement regime for better security.

After a detailed discussion, the cabinet approved the summary moved by the Interior Division for Al-Rahmah’s proscription.

Pakistan is already under the strict watch of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – an international body working against terror financing. The FATF put Pakistan in its grey list from June this year.