ISLAMABAD: A lawyer has filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking a ban on the activities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for allegedly collecting data of re gistered voters.

Mohammad Bilal filed the petition on Wednesday, and requested a commission, headed by a sitting or retired superior court judge, to look into the activities of USAID and NGOs funded by the US in Pakistan.

He cited the secretaries of interior, foreign affairs, defence and law and justice, and the chief election commissioner, as respondents.

In the petition, he alleged that USAID launched the Citizen Voice Project in 2011 to foster links between the government and Pakistani citizens through local NGOs. He said activities under the project apparently began the areas of energy, water and citizens oversight of municipal services.

“But in pursuance of vested national interests of USA in this country and the region, the USAID has now been entered into the sensitive areas i.e. to facilitate in acquiring computerized national identity cards (CNICs) and voter registration process especially for women,” the petition read.

Mr Bilal said the concepts and scope of humanitarian assistance, charity, human rights and democracy are not absolute and never allow any state to intervene in the internal affairs of other states or violate citizens’ fundamental rights.

He alleged that USAID’s objectives through such activities were to collect data and information, penetrate the social structure, influence the political process, sabotage development projects, destabilisation and create security problems for Pakistan on the pretext of humanitarian assistance, human rights and democracy.

USAID, he said, also intends to create obstacles in the way of an independent foreign policy towards neighbouring countries and the Muslim world, as well as damage international standing.

He claimed that the agency’s past was controversial because it was behind many anti-state activities that resulted in the undermining of Pakistan’s sovereignty and security. The petition argued that USAID’s activities violated the provisions of articles 5, 9, 14, 15, 20, 35 and 40 of the Constitution.

Mr Bilal also said the respondents “misused their powers in granting permission to the USAID for carrying out the activities prejudicial to the State and fundamental rights of citizens as the executive action has no legal basis”.

He asked the court to direct the Ministry of Interior to ban USAID activities, including the Citizen Voice Project, for being illegal.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2017