All non-governmental organisations (NGOs), working in the Hazara region, have been given an ultimatum to submit NOCs of their activities or risk being banned. On Tuesday, Hazara Division Commissioner Khalid Umerzai also asked foreign-funded NGOs with offices in the cantonment limits of Abbottabad to relocate away from these areas as soon as possible.
“NGOs, whether national or international, shall cease to work if they do not submit Government NOCs for their projects and activities as well as other necessary details to the divisional and concerned district administration within two weeks,” said the commissioner while chairing a meeting of representatives of all the NGOs working in Hazara.
The NGO representatives earlier apprised the commissioner about their projects, activities, areas of work and details about the donors.
After the briefing, the commissioner directed NGO officials to submit comprehensive reports pertaining to their annual work plans, funding sources including names of donors, future plans, detail and particulars of their entire staff and schedules of visits of foreigners to their offices or activity areas.
Without bringing up what made prompted the tough approach towards Hazara-based NGOs, he emphasised the need to regularly monitor their activities and directed the DCOs to ensure monitoring of the NGOs activities to check for any duplication of projects, irregularities or other malpractices.
Further explaining his directives, the commissioner said that NGOs must provide the civil administration with NOCs obtained from the concerned district, provincial or federal government for their projects and other activities, otherwise, he warned, they will not be allowed to continue operations after the stipulated two week period.
Umarzai also stressed the need for cooperation and coordination between district governments and NGOs, for which a quarterly meeting was agreed upon by the administrations and NGOs.
Speaking about areas NGOs are working in, he said most of them prefer to work in comfortable, developed and picturesque districts while they should direct their resources towards the socio-economic uplift of needy people in backward districts like Kohistan, Battagram and Torghar.
However, Umerzai lauded organisations working for hydropower generation and urged that more such projects be planned and initiated to install community-based, micro hydroelectricity production units in remote areas.
Submission required
Comprehensive reports pertaining to annual work plans
Funding sources including names of donors
Future plans
Detail and particulars of entire staff
Schedule of visits of foreigners to their offices or activity areas
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2011.
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