ISLSMABAD - In the light of serious reservations of national security agencies, the federal government has directed Ministry of Finance to probe the financial matters of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to check whether they are involved in any anti-state or spying activities, as feared.
Sources disclosed to The Nation on Monday that the decision has been taken after heavy foreign transactions in the accounts of some of these NGOs were made. The government has directed the Economic Affairs Division of Ministry of Finance to look into the matter, the sources said.
It has also been learnt that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has also taken action on the matter. Sources in the Bureau said that Chief Secretaries of all the provinces have been directed to look into the matter.
The awareness and prevention wing of NAB has invited some INGOs to give presentation on their financial matters, however, these bodies have no proper record and failed to justify their expenses and the transactions made in their accounts.
Gravity of the matter could be judged well from the fact that INGOs and NGOs had spent billions of rupees within Pakistan but they failed to give proper record of their accounts.
During presentation at the NAB, a foreign NGO which is working in health sector failed to justify the purpose of purchase of five land cruiser jeeps worth 25 million rupees, as its area of working comprises big cities.
Another NGO, which is funded by a European country Holland and some foreigners are sitting in its board of directors and is working on provision of clean drinking water, has failed to justify the massive spending of 12 billion rupees in Pakistan. Although they claimed that they had spent this money in laying down the water pipelines in different areas of Pakistan yet there was no proper record of it.
The sources said that if these INGOs fail to provide record of their expenses, NAB could initiate a proper legal action against them.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan is signatory of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and NAB is the representing body. A senior officer of the Bureau on condition of anonymity said that NAB could take an action against these INGOs and if money was transferred abroad the same could be brought back under the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA).
When contacted, NAB Spokesman Hafiz Muhammad Irfan confirmed that the Bureau under its prevention regime could take action on the matter. He further said that action against these NGOs could be initiated under section 33-C of NAO 1999.