The mullahs are once again
at odd with Civil Society Organizations and NGOs in Pakistan. Recently in
Kohistan, the clergies have repeatedly threatened the NGOs to wrap up their
activities or face dire consequences.
Two theories are
predominant in Pakistan vis-à-vis civil society organizations and human right
organizations. One theory is of religious clergies whereby they observe a
strong Jewish conspiracy behind the functioning of NGOs and CSOs to corrupt
Muslim societies. Another theory is postulated by eminent economist and
development practitioners who are of opine that “The failure of government
policies in reducing poverty paved the way for emergence of NGOs. The basic
purpose of these NGOs was to act as a catalyst between government and
communities, keeping their separate identity and less intervention from
government. The state institutions and its public policy were unable to tackle
core public issues, so a new, participatory, and democratic institution with
new paradigm was necessity of time”. (S. Akbar Zaidi, ‘Issues in Pakistan’s
Economy’ OUP, 1999. pp# 413-16).
But it seems obvious now
that our hostile attitude towards CSOs and NGOs are shaped by clergical
thoughts.
Edict against
NGOs is not a recent phenomenon in Pakistan’s rural areas. It has been
practiced like faith to mislead people against NGOs by religious clergies.
Renowned development practitioner and founding General Manager of Aga Khan Rural
Support Program, Mr. Shoaib_Sultan_Khan in
his book Aga
Khan Rural Support Programme A Journey Through Grassroots Development narrates
that how a development program like Aga Khan Rural Support Programme was
propagated to be a sectarian program by religious ulemas and asked people to
ban the program as it was sponsored by His Highness the Aga Khan, the spiritual
leader of Ismaili community and thus a conspiracy to create an ‘Ismaili State’
in Gilgit Baltistan. Due to such strong religious propaganda AKRSP was not able
to initiate any developmental program in Chilas – one of seven districts
headquarters of Gilgit Baltistan. A man of international repute and a recipient
of Magsaysay
Award, he observes in his book that in Chilas the ““ulema issuing fatwas
(against AKRSP) were not from Chilas but from Kohistan and KPK” (P#191). Shoaib
Sultan states that the fatwas were so obnoxious that “in some places, they
remained unconvinced and despite my being a born Sunni felt that I had sold my
soul.” (Page #191). Khan further states, “Once I took Akhter
Hameed Khan to a diehard religious area and he asked the people
that if they did not take advantage of the modern education and technology
AKRSP is offering to them, they would be left far behind like the Mughals were
left far behind the foreigners but they did not budge”.(P#191)
Civil Society
Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations play a vital role in providing
jobs and mobilizing the communities. Their importance cannot be denied in
mobilizing communities and building their capacities by adopting the
‘Participatory Development Approach.’ According to a report of Pakistan Centre
of Philanthropy more than 100000 CSO and NGOs are working in Pakistan. Many
Pakistani models of community development have received world recognition which
includes Adult Basic Literacy
Education initiated by Vincent David, Leprosy Reduction Initiative of Dr Ruth
Pfau,Orangi_Pilot_Project of
Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan, AKRSP model of Shoaib Sultan Khan, Akhuwat Model of Amjad Saqib andSindh_Institute_of_Urology_and_Transplantation program
of Dr. Adeeb-ul Hasan Rizvi.
But, unfortunately, in
Pakistan governments perceive NGOs their competitors and clergies consider them
as a great conspiracy of west to sabotage the Islamic culture in Pakistan. For
this very basic reason, many representatives of humanitarian agencies have been
recently kidnapped and killed in Pakistan. The killing of Farida-Afridi and
abduction of other foreign aid workers in Pakistan is a sign of drifting more
towards obscurantist paths.
Civil Society
Organizations and NGOs must not be considered competitors by government or a
conspiracy hatched by Jews or other unforeseen forces by Pakistani people. They
serve the people devoid of basic necessities of life in times of crisis and
play a vital role in their own capacities to enhance the living conditions of
rural and urban population.
The tattered economy of
Pakistan cannot sustain and deliver in its current capacity. In such
conditions, how Pakistan allows multiple ideas to be flourished and multiple
actors to work will shape the future of the country.
Pakistan needs lot to do
for building public-private partnership and to provide security to the people
working with grass-root communities. In a society where hope for the future
often becomes hope for survival, killing sane voices like Farida Afridi and
other human right activists, social activists and community workers is a sign
of medival thoughts and banning and opposing NGOs is a sheer stupidity
depicting our prejudices against development, knowledge and civilization.
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