Islamabad, March 31: A recent report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has revealed that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Pakistan, particularly in the Punjab province, are facing significant constraints due to bureaucratic, legal, and financial pressures, which have narrowed the civic space.
"The need for regulation is neither new nor unreasonable. States are entitled to ensure transparency, financial accountability, and compliance with the law. However, as the report says, the challenge lies not only in the number of requirements—from Economic Affairs Division approvals to district permissions and security clearances—but also in how they are applied," an editorial in Pakistan's leading daily, Dawn, mentioned.
Even NGOs that follow these procedures also face prolonged delays, repeated scrutiny, or sudden interruptions in their work. Approvals can take months or years, bank accounts may be frozen, and projects may be halted despite applications being in progress.
This system creates a situation where compliance does not guarantee the ability to function effectively. This creates an environment of uncertainty in which NGOs need to invest more time and resources to deal with administrative hurdles, often at the expense of their core work.
Rights-based organizations, especially those working on governance and human rights, seem to face more problems than service-delivery groups. Many of them have reduced their advocacy work and implemented safer programming, with some reshaping their work to avoid delays, scrutiny, or disruptions in their work or even fully stopping operations in some cases. Women-led and minority-focused groups, which already face social pressure, face more problems in conducting their work.
The effect of this kind of system extends beyond individual groups. When NGOs function amidst uncertainty, their work and the communities for which they work are also impacted.
An editorial in Dawn mentioned, "Encouragingly, there are signs of partial easing, including judicial interventions and some procedural flexibility. However, the longer-term effects—weakened networks and constrained funding—remain. The way forward lies in balance.
"The report calls for a rights-compliant legal framework grounded in legislation, alongside streamlined, time-bound approval processes and structured dialogue between government and civil society. It also stresses clearer oversight, accessible legal remedies, stronger coordination among NGOs, and more flexible donor support. A state that trusts its citizens leaves room for them to organise. Without that space, governance and society are diminished," it further stated.