THE purpose of political and religious protests is often considered vital for protecting public rights and highlighting critical issues. However, in our country, mismanagement and lack of accountability in organising protests, sit-ins and rallies have become a common practice, leaving the funding sources and expenses of these events a mystery to the general public.

It is crucial for the government to pass a legal amendment making it mandatory for every political or religious organisation to disclose financial resources before organising any sit-in or rally. Such a step would not only ensure transparency, but also help prevent the misuse of public resources.

It is often observed that ruling parties and officials use taxpayers’ money for political purposes. This practice not only undermines public trust, but also leads to the misuse of resources that should be allocated for the welfare of the people. Similarly, many private organisations receive financial support from unidentified sources, making it essential to disclose their actual motives and intentions.

Such legal reforms may bring multiple positive outcomes, such as prevention of the misuse of public funds by making financial reports mandatory.

It will ensure accountability of private sponsors by revealing their financial support and scrutinising their assets. Moving on, this will ultimately discourage unnecessary sit-ins and rallies because forced transparency may will help reduce the count of frivolous protests.

This legislation would not restrict the fundamental right to protest. In fact, it would align the right with greater resp-onsibility and ethical values.

It is high time we took steps to curb the irregularities conducted under the banner of politics and religion, and made these practices transparent.

Such an initiative would not only save taxpayers’ money, but also reduce social and political disruption. The government and policymaking bodies should consider this critical issue, and take appropriate measures in the larger interest of the country as well as of the nation.

Ali Raza Soomro
Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2024