Govt to facilitate registration of INGOs

Foreign minister presides meeting to discuss the framework for INGO registration and working in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to make the process for the registration of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) quicker and easier.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi presided over a meeting with representatives of INGOs on Friday. Interior Minister Brigadier (retd) Ijaz Shah, Intelligence Bureau Director General Dr Muhammad Suleman and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood also attended the meeting.

The participants discussed the registration and data of INGOs active in the country.

Qureshi said the government was taking steps to ensure that INGOs were registered and following rules and regulations.

He added that the foreign ministry and other departments concerned were facilitating INGOs in the process of registration. “By registering themselves with the government, INGOs will be able to function smoothly in the country.”

The government has introduced a ‘unified’ policy for the registration and regularisation of INGOs in compliance with conditions of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) action plan.

The FATF has proposed a comprehensive framework for prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing through INGOs.

This framework not only proposes introducing a strict policy for monitoring and registration of INGOs but also a unified one.