Party lines fade as MPAs speak for and against NGOs

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly members spent most of Thursday’s session debating the role and suggested monitoring of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) after Alaud Din Sheikh moved an adjournment motion in this regard.

Sheikh’s motion stated that there are thousands of NGOs, operating unchecked, in the Punjab, with a large number being involved in “suspicious activities”. “Anti-state elements are working under the guise of NGOs,” he stated while also objecting to the tax-free donations, worth millions, that the organisations get from foreign donors.

Sheikh said the monitoring of NGOs was more important than ever now that most of the aid under the Kerry-Lugar Bill would be coming in through them. At present, the Monitoring Authority is helpless against the NGOs, he said. He criticised the Smile Again Foundation, which was formed to help girls who fell victim to acid attacks, for receiving millions and not delivering. Continuing his tirade against NGOs he said, “The role of Mukhtaran Mai’s NGO and others are an open secret.” Sheikh also made some inappropriate remarks about Mai, which were struck from the record at the request of the law minister.

Rana Sanaullah Khan also told Sheikh to exercise caution while criticising NGOs “since not all of them are dishonest”. However, Sheikh defended his outburst saying that he was talking about the NGOs which are corrupt and working against the state.

PPP legislator, Fauzia Behram, endorsed Sheikh’s motion and quoted the example of an NGO in her Chakwal constituency,  working under the name of Hawa. “It does not even have an office in any city and it does not work for the welfare of the people either,” she said. Behram went on to support Sheikh’s suggestion that the activities and funding of NGOs be effectively monitored.

The law minister jumped to the defence of NGOs again, citing the examples of Abdul Sattar Edhi and Asma Jehangir among others who have played their role in the restoration of democracy and actually helped the people. To this, Sheikh responded that he was only asking for the effective monitoring of NGOs.

Nighat Nasir, a PML-N MPA, supported Sheikh’s view and said, “The NGOs collect money in the name of the people but things improve only for the executives of these NGOs.” Nasir gave the example of two singers who recently fought on television because one of them questioned the performance of an NGO set up by the other. She also said that some employees of the Child Protection Bureau too had formed an NGO, which was against the law.

Tahir Kahlil Sindhu supported the part played by the NGOs during the 2005 earthquake. “They worked around the clock,” he said adding that the organisations had been of tremendous help to people in Hunza. Mian Rafiq Ahmed, a PML-N MPA, told the House, “I am against NGOs altogether,” saying that they use the funds they get “against political parties and to create unrest in the country”.

Sanaullah, at this point, told the members that the view held by Ahmed was his own and not that of the Punjab government or the PML-N. Yasin Sohal, appreciating the law minister’s careful attitude, opined, “If the law minister had adopted this attitude during the presentation and adoption of the anti-media resolution, it would have been beneficial for both of us in particular and for the government in general.”

The session was adjourned until 9:00am on Friday.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th,2010.