ISLAMABAD: The capital administration on Monday cancelled the registration of over 100 non-government organisations (NGOs) as they were inactive and non-functional.

A team constituted for inspecting local NGOs which take funds from local and foreign donors found 112 of the 1,427 NGOs registered with the capital administration to be inactive during an initial inspection of 150 establishments.

According to officials from the administration, some of the addresses provided by the NGOs during registration were found to be fake and that “when they had gone to visit the NGOs, the team had not found their offices at these addresses”.

The officials said that the team had then tried to track down the NGOs, as it was possible they moved offices during the Capital Development Authority’s campaign against non-conforming use of residential property. However, the team was unable to find many of the NGOs offices and they could also not be reached via telephone.

Their annual progress reports and audit reports had also not been submitted with the capital administration.

According to officials from capital administration, the teams conducted their inspections in March and April this year and that a four-month long search for the new addresses of these establishments had then followed.

These NGOs had claimed to work on various issues including environment protection, human development, health, education, social welfare and other issues.

A second phase of the inspection will begin soon, the officers said.

“NGOs have been given three months to submit their annual progress and audit reports,” an official said.

Non-government organisations were asked to conduct their audits from credible audit companies and to submit them to the capital administration to avoid legal action. The officials said dozens of NGOs were yet to submit the two reports.

Raja Arshad, a representative of the Private Schools Management Association (Rural Area) Bhara Kahu, the registration of which was cancelled, said he did not know of the cancellation.

“A group of friends are running the NGO and we are not getting any funds,” he said.

Mr Arshad added that the organisation’s annual progress and audit report had been submitted to the capital administration.

Chief Commissioner Islamabad Zulfiqar Haider was not available for comment.

Those NGOs whose registrations were cancelled include Nature Environmental Protection Organisation F-10 Markaz, Bardasht Welfare Society F-10/2, Ahmad Social and Al-Falah Islamic Association F-10/1, Association of People Living with HIV & Aids G-11 Markaz, Institute of Tehfeezul Quran-e-Kareem G-11, Aman Foundation, I-10 Markaz, Social Development Initiatives I-8 Markaz, Pak Kashmir Human Rights Society I-8/4, Association for Millennium Dev. Goals I-8/1, Private Schools Management Association (Rural Area) Bhara Kahu and the Human Lovers Organisation G-9 Markaz.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2016