Pakistan government intensifying crackdown on NGOs: Report

The government has intensified a crackdown on NGOs under the pretext that they receive foreign funds, promote the "enemy agenda" and are working against the state, reports DW.

Khan took up the issue of NGOs' foreign funding in a Cabinet meeting last month amid increasing concerns that his government is suppressing freedom of speech in the country, reports the news portal.

Khan, who came to power in 2018 after winning the polls, had ordered 18 foreign NGOs to close their operations and leave the country.

Campaigners feel it is Imran Khan government's attempt to silence rights activists are part of the authorities' broader plan to silence dissent.

"The way Khan's government banned several international NGOs and took measures to create problems for local NGOs is alarming. We have never experienced this situation before. The government also wants to control the media," Mohammad Tahseen, executive director of the South Asia Partnership Pakistan organization, told DW.

However, Zafar Yab Khan, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, told DW:"Pakistan has recently upgraded its laws to ensure that the movement of funds follows legal channels and the money is used for the right purposes." 

"Pakistan greatly values the work done by local and international NGOs and will always facilitate them. At the same time, it will be cognizant of its international obligations that require proper checks and balances for these organizations," he added denying suppression claims.