June 29 deadline: Clerics want ‘conspiring’ NGOs out of Kohistan
Accusing non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of working against Kohistani tribal customs, local clerics have decided in principle to expel them from the district.
“We have given the NGOs until June 29 to pack up,” Maulvi Karimdad, a local cleric and son of former MNA Maulana Abdul Haleem, told The Express Tribune on Tuesday.
He said a meeting of Ulema was held in Badakot Kamela village Monday evening, with Maulana Haleem in the chair, to discuss the emerging situation especially following the Kohistan video scandal.
The meeting, which was attended by over 85 prayer leaders from across four tehsils of Kohistan district, expressed their concern over the scandal that ensued after the footage surfaced of four Kohistani girls singing at a wedding with men.
The clerics were of the view that the scandal brought a bad name to the centuries-old tribal customs and religious norms.
They blamed NGO workers for launching a campaign against Kohsitani customs and Islamic codes, adding that despite repeated warnings they did not stop ‘hatching conspiracies’ against the Kohistani Ulema and their customs.
“Whatever humiliation the tribes of Kohistan have faced in the last fortnight is part of the conspiracies of NGOs,” said Maulvi Karimdad.
He added that another meeting would be held on June 29, after which they would give a final warning to the NGOs to wind up and leave the district or else face consequences. However, he said the clerics have no plans on using force against the NGOs.
Criticising the role of NGOs, Karimdad said that while the organisations get billions of rupees for development in education, health and infrastructure, they hardly spend any money on the people in Kohistan.
He claimed that NGOs have not contributed towards poverty alleviation and development in health or education, and added that Kohistan was a resource-rich district where people were not poor.
He also suggested donors to channel funds through the government and local clerics rather than to people from outside the district.
Maulana Haleem had earlier warned NGO women during a Friday sermon to stay away from Kohistan otherwise those who were single would forcibly be married off to Kohistani boys and those married would be sent back to their husbands.
He accused NGO women of spreading obscenity and misguiding Kohistani women.
Meanwhile, Mirza Khan who serves as district coordinator for an NGO working in the health sector, said the communication gap between the local clerics, civil society and administration, needed to be bridged.
He said expelling NGOs from Kohistan would render hundreds of local youth jobless and deprive the district of development.
Khan suggested that a joint committee comprising local clerics, civil society and people from the local administration should oversee the activities of NGOs.
When approached for comments, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA from Kohistan Abdul Sattar Khan said that since NGOs were working for the wellbeing of Kohistanis they would be provided full security.
However, he also stressed the need for NGO staff to strictly follow local customs. Kohistan DCO Syed Aqil Badshah was not available for comments.
Published In The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2012.
COMMENTS (15)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
A matter of fact NGO have played little role for the socioeconomic wellbeing of the people, majority of these organization are owned and headed by the powerful political figures and their relatives who run the organizations like family owned business. At least should be monitored by an independent oversight body to evaluate quality, transparency and effectiveness of their work in their respective areas.
NGOs have been proven to be fronts for foreign intelligence agencies. It's a common practice. They simply eat up money meant for development and do little actual development in 90% of cases.
The attack on Kohistani culture by Islamabad and Lahore based liberals who barely know Urdu let alone local Shina is appalling and part of the larger narrative meant to show the ancient culture of Pakistan in bad light and promote Western imperialism and PPP feudalism.
The Shina speakers of Kohistan have more genuine culture then the combined posh areas of Islamabad and Lahore combined and yet the need to "teach the barbarians" the value of Pakistan's corrupt system is simply laughable.
Getting rid of these non-monitored NGOs should be the first most priority.They have been involved in a lot suspicious activities which they shouldn't be part of.
@Moise: Great solution, you should be president.
There is no accountability and no transparency of NGO activities and their source of funding. If you want to build cohesive society like Singapore ban all subversive and foreign NGOs.
In other words: "Why don't you leave us alone with our medieval, barbaric customs"
Speechless!
Carl Marx was so right; it's all commerce!
Maligning Islam now these Mullahs, sorry but your barbaric customs have nothing to do with Islam!! Stop hijacking Islam whenever and for whatever you will!! enough damage done already though.
NGOs should go! They are right actually, if they keep bringing false stories and bring bad name to country its time for them to leave! NGOs can't go accusing someone, and when the accused are found not guilty - keep silent.NGOs should be held accountable for their false accusations
"He also suggested donors to channel funds through the government and local clerics rather than to people from outside the district"
Whaaaa?
have not laughed this much as i did Reading the logic and demands of these so called clerics. Delusional and demented at the same time.
Sorry if your local customs are barbaric there needs to be someone protecting these women. We can't trust the mullahs with this now can we?
When in doubt blame it on the foreigners --- first line of defense in Pakistan.