3NGORC Journal, December 2007

Civil Society in Pakistan has come a long way since theindependence of the country. Over the years, the sec-tor has undergone a vast change in terms of its role

definition, objectives and scope of operations. As the socialsector found acceptance among general public and the gov-ernment, its relations with both the actors has sought a rede-finition. There are varied arguments about the capacity andeffectiveness of the service delivery of the civil society organ-izations. However, there is no denying the fact that their roleis seen as significant in the development and progress of thecountry.

Civil society in Pakistan is diverse. It comprises non-govern-mental organizations (NGOs), community-based organiza-tions (CBOs), trade unions, academic and research institutes,cultural groups, and informal citizen organizations. The roleof the civil society has changed considerably over the years.From refugee settlement to active development endeavours,the civil society has broadened its scope of operation exten-sively to work alongside the state in the development sector.

Philanthropy and volunteer service is an old phenomenon inthe Subcontinent. Religion has been described as a drivingforce behind the phenomenon as all the dominant religionsin the subcontinent, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam,Christianity and Sikhism strongly advocate the cause of serv-ing to the needy and poor. These values are further reinforcedby common socio-cultural practices such as joint family sys-tem and community living.

Though there was no dearth of independent philanthropicefforts in the pre-partition Subcontinent, it was the colonialrulers that attempted to regularise and institutionalise the vol-untary activities in the region. The post-war of independenceperiod saw a rise in the number of voluntary organizations asa number of individuals and groups stepped up their effortsto address public needs, as economic constraints and depri-vation among the cross section of the society began to taketheir toll on the citizens. The notable philanthropic endeav-ours of the pre-partition era focused not only on the provi-sion of basic social service but also engaged in professionaland technical education. Prominent institutions formed dur-ing that time include: Anjuman Himayat-e-Islam, NationalMuhammadan Association, and Dayal Singh Trust,Nadershaw Edulgee Dinshawjee Engineering College andGanga Ram Trust among many others. Interestingly, thoughfaith was one of the prime motivations behind many of theseinstitutes/organizations, the services offered were notrestricted to serve any certain faith. For instance, even today,a large section of the population benefits from the schoolsand hospitals set up by Christian missions.

Post independence in 1947, the settlement of the millions of

migrants was the biggest challenge the newly independentcountry faced. The civil society played an important role inthe rehabilitation and settlement of the exodus of migrantswho had travelled to Pakistan to settle in the new Muslimstate. The country had inherited a civil society characterisedby ethical, denominational and clan organizations withstrongly embedded religious and socio-cultural values.Prominent CSOs in the early post-independence periodranged from welfare and charity organizations, writer's asso-ciations, women's organizations, trade unions, Christian mis-sions and student bodies.

Together, they went on to make immense contribution in thegigantic task of refugee settlement. A large number of reha-bilitation initiatives were also undertaken by women.

Once the issue of refugee settlement was considerablyaddressed, the country's voluntary organizations got thespace to expand the scope of their activities. It was aroundthis time (1950s), that the All Pakistan Women's Association(APWA) took up advocacy work concentrating on the area ofwomen's rights. The Family Planning Association of Pakistanwas formed around the same time. Both are still active today.

The Pakistani government, though, has shared a sketchy rela-tionship with the civil society over the years. At the sametime, the government sector does seem to have recognisedthe significance of the CSOs and has taken their growth in itsstride. The government created a permanent social welfare

Civil Society in Pakistan:

Through Challenges and OpportunitiesBy Zeenia Shaukat

4 NGORC Journal, December 2007

section with the Planning Board in the 1950s and most of itsfive years plans, starting from the first in 1955, did make pro-vision for working alongside the NGOs for the developmentof the country.

In the 1960s, post the first martial law (imposed in 1958), thegovernment-civil society relations took a few twists. Whilethe government attempted to regularise the voluntary organ-izations with the Voluntary Social Welfare AgenciesRegistration and Control Ordinance (passed in 1961), it alsotook the control of Sufi shrines and trusts related to them,giving them over to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

It was around this time that trade union movement gainedmomentum. Though the trade unions were already active,following independence, they got their strength from theindustrialisation of the economy set in motion by the gov-ernment of General Ayub Khan. The movement played asignificant political role in the '70s too, as discontent fromindustrialisation - that, according to the trade unions, soughtto benefit a select group - grew. The sector went into adecline in the 1980s and stands in a bad shape today. A com-bination of factors is attributed to its dwindling influence.The collapse of socialist models in Russia and EasternEurope and weakening of the local trade unions' structuresbecause of the discord and compromising inclinations of theleadership, is cited as biggest reasons behind its fall. However,till the movement was active, it played an important role inbringing the workers' agenda on table and contributed inimproving the bargaining power of the working class vis-à-vis the ruling elite.

The 1970s era is seen to be positive as well as negative for thecivil society as the establishment of a democratic governmentin Pakistan sought to boost the sector, encouraging it to playan important role in the development of the country that wasreeling from the shock of the loss of its right wing, i.e. EastPakistan (that went on the become Bangladesh after the 1971war). However, the nationalisation drive of the Bhutto gov-ernment did upset the sector, as a number of trusts, founda-tions, and community organizations were indiscriminatelynationalised by the government.

A tumultuous political period in the late 1970s led to theimposition of an 11-years long martial law rule (1977-88) onthe country, by President General Zia-ul-Haq. However, thisperiod actually oversaw the rise of some sections of the civilsociety. At the same time, it sought to suppress the others. Asthe country sided with the United States, actively seeking therole of a major player in the USSR-Afghanistan war, NGOsreceived a boost as foreign funding poured in for the purposeof development. 'The proliferation of NGOs also extendedto religious Madrassahs in the 1980s when funding to reli-gious educational institutions increased substantially fromboth the Pakistan state and foreign sources, mainly from theArab states and Iran'. At the same time, Zia's tenure is knownfor state brutalities against civil rights activists and politicalworkers.

The decade of '90s is marked by successive regime change asthe country struggled with the democratic rule after 11 yearsof martial law. As the turbulent political situation led to a

slowdown in the activities of industrial and agricultural sec-tors, the weakening of state services further encouraged therise of self-help and community-based programmes. Thiswas particularly observed in the Karachi city, as citizens com-mittees were formed to improve the deteriorating law andorder situation in the city and improve the water-supply in thewater deficit areas of the city.

Post-Afghan war, the influx of refugee led many internation-al donor, relief and rehabilitation agencies to set up theiroffices in Pakistan. Advocacy organizations focusing mainlyon human rights and women's issues became much strongerand more visible during this decade. New organizations werecreated, existing ones became more active, and many un-addressed social issues were taken up by these NGOs.

Apart from increased foreign funding, the '90s period alsosaw the civil society sector receiving substantial financialassistance from the government, providing the sector withgreater space to carry out its activities. The governmentactively sought a positive relation with the CSOs as it createdprovision for their assistance through programmes such asthe Social Action Programme, the Poverty Alleviation Fundand the Trust for Voluntary Organizations. However, theendeavors of the non-governmental organizations and thevoluntary services sector - backed by foreign donors andagencies - have faced significant resistance from religiousorganizations that accuse the former of implementing aWestern agenda in the country and have openly expressedresentment against the former's efforts in the area ofwomen's rights, honour killings, reproductive health and fam-ily planning issues.

There are a number of categories of CSOs in Pakistan.Emphasising the multiplicity of their roles, they can bedescribed as "innovators; donors; service providers; capacitybuilding institutions; critical thinkers; policy partners; advo-cates; social mobilizers and protestors." In more specificterms, one comes across the following general categories ofCSOs when studying the civil society in Pakistan's context.

NGOs (Non-Governmental Organization):These are described as private, non-profit citizen organiza-tions working in the capacity of pressure groups and supportcentres. In Pakistan, NGOs are mainly considered to be syn-onymous for the civil society, though "civil society" is a farbroader term.

NGOs in Pakistan are mainly registered under the SocietiesRegistration Act 1860 and the amended Act of 1961.However, there are a number of other registration laws forNGOs, and the complexities of multiple laws continue tohound the registration process despite stiff resistance put upby the sector against such complexities. Other registrationlaws governing NGOs include: Companies Ordinance(1984), the Trust Act (1882), the Charitable Endowments Act(1890), the Co-operative Act (1925) and the Voluntary SocialWelfare Agencies (Registration and Control) Ordinance(1961).

An ADB report divides NGOs into four categories:1 Those involved in advocacy and lobbying;

5NGORC Journal, December 2007

2 Those involved in policy issues and debates;3 Emergency and relief and rehabilitation organizations;4 Those involved in implementation of development

projects, including service delivery organizations.

NGOs mostly rely on national and international donors'assistance for funding and take initiatives in the areas ofadvocacy, policy solutions, and research assistance while alsoact as resource centres. In, Pakistan, NGOs can be dividedinto four categories on the basis of their objectives and func-tions.

1. National level NGOs: These operate on national leveland many of them are extensions of international NGOssuch as the Aga Khan Foundation and the InternationalUnion for the Conservation of Nature. National-level NGOsserve in various areas including health, environment, humanrights and legal aid etc. Some of the examples are: WorldWide Fund (environment), Sustainable Development PolicyInstitute (research and advocacy); Social Policy andDevelopment Centre (research); Human Rights Commissionof Pakistan (human rights, legal aid) and Aurat Foundation(women's rights).

2. Implementing and/or support organizations: Theseinclude organizations such as Strengthening ParticipatoryOrganizations (SPO) and South Asia Partnership Pakistan(SAP Pak). These are known to work directly with communi-ties supporting them in establishing community-based organ-izations, and providing assistance for their development proj-ects.

3. Umbrella NGOs: The term is used for organization thatreceives funding from donors or government, which is laterchannelled to smaller NGOs and community-based organi-zation to assist them in delivering service in related areas.Examples of umbrella NGOs include: the Family PlanningAssociation of Pakistan, the Population Council, the Trustfor Voluntary Organizations, and the National Rural SupportProgramme.

4. Service Delivery: These NGOs are involved in socialservice delivery such as basic education, health, and familyplanning. They may range from small local organizations tomid-level NGOs.

Community Based Organizations (CBOs):These are membership-based, grassroots organizations,

mainly acting as a subset NGOs. Their area of operation islimited as they tend to be based in, and serve, a certain geo-graphical location and community organization. For example,there are a number of CBOs operating in Lyari, Thar andrural Punjab, such as Lyari Community Development Project,assisting the local communities in fulfilling the specific devel-opment needs of those certain regions. The NGO registra-tion laws in Pakistan govern CBOs, and they usually consistof an Executive Committee of office bearers and a GeneralBody membership. Top office bearers are inducted throughelections every two to three years and the CBOs are requiredto maintain documented financial accounts.

Trade Unions:These are mainly associations of workers in an industryworking for the cause of the protection of worker's rightsand interests. Trade unions are also known to carry out wel-fare activities to benefit their members. In Pakistan, tradeunions are actively working in various industries includingPakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), rail-ways, post office, the print and electronic media industries,banks and other public and private sector organizations.

Over the years, trade unions from different industries have

formed federations on the national level to expand their areaof influence. Examples include: Pakistan Workers Federation,All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions, All PakistanFederation of Labour and Pakistan National Federation ofTrade Unions, among others.

As the civil society assumed different roles during differenttimes, its relations with successive regimes too went throughups and downs, while people's perception about its functionschanged over the years too.

The government-civil society relations, over the years, havelargely been characterised by the nature of government andthe internal and external situation of the country. The statehas been observed to be comfortable with the NGOs thatrestrict themselves to traditional activities such as welfare,relief or service provision, NGOs seeking to work atdemocratising the state have not been encouraged, though.

Democratic governments have been observed to be moretolerant of the civil society than the non-democratic ones.However, external forces have played an important role in theway the civil society has shaped up over the years. As noticed,the excessive foreign funding in the '80s and '90s have large-

Currently, there is a marked

friction between the NGO sector

and the religious political parties

that see the former as extending

a Western agenda in the country.

6 NGORC Journal, August 2006

ly been absorbed by the civilsociety and played an impor-tant role in the proliferation ofthe NGOs in the developmentsector in Pakistan. At the sametime, democratic governmentstoo have made successiveattempts to bring the civil soci-ety under control and discour-age the international NGOsfrom operating in the country,in view of the difficulty ofbringing them under the ambitof local laws.

Almost all governments havetried to control the civil society,especially the NGO sector byproposing and imposing strin-gent laws to rein them in. TheZia regime had a policy requir-ing government's approval forNGOs seeking foreign funding- Zia regime was also known for massive crackdown on thecitizens, rights activists and the media in order to control theiractivities.

The Peoples Party government did take a number of posi-tive steps concerning the civil society, enhancing its role indevelopment and governance activities. At the same time, thePPP government attempted to control the sector through theNGO Bill drafted in 1996. The Nawaz Sharif governmentera (1990-93 and 1997-99) is marked by continuous tensionswith the civil society as it perceived the civil society posing aserious challenge to a few of the legislations (includingShariat Bill) that the regime was keen on moving in the par-liament. During the Sharif rule, there was a move to dissolvea large number of NGOs in the Punjab Province while thegovernment also tried to bring under control foreign fundingextended to the sector. Such moves by the Sharif governmentadded to the growing acrimony between the government andthe civil society sector.

Currently, there is a marked friction between the NGO sec-tor and the religious political parties that see the former asextending a Western agenda in the country. The religiousparties have actively launched a campaign to ban organiza-tions that are deemed to be at odds with the perceivedIslamic teachings, and the lives and security of leaders ofsome of the secular non-profit organizations have evenbeen threatened.

As far as the general public is concerned, it has given a mixedresponse to the civil society's endeavours to participate in thedevelopment activities. Extensive concerns and reservationshave been raised about their transparency and accountabilitystructures and the sector is constantly challenged to prove itsintegrity.

A number of NGOs have been subjected to intense resent-ment from the conservative section of the society. Forinstance, the polio-vaccination drive in the NWFP, during the

past two years, suffered a seri-ous setback as the dominantreligious clergy attempted todissuade people from takingthe vaccination arguing that itseeks to affect fertility.

Over the years, the civil socie-ty, especially the NGO sector,has been the target of graveterrorist threat too.Organizations that are work-ing in the troubled tribalregion and the NorthernAreas of the country, havesuffered significant losses astheir manpower, propertiesand assets have come underattack from extremists thatseek their expulsion from theregion, accusing them ofimplementing a "WesternAgenda".

The rise of NGOs and their significance is marked by thefailure of the state and the political parties to meet the aspi-rations, and development needs of the people. 'Consequently,people have started responding by organising for themselvesthe provision of such (basic) services and the protection ofrights'.

Donor funding, a factor that the NGOs in Pakistan are high-ly dependent on, has been linked with the sustainability ofthe sector, which in turn is linked to the strategy of sustain-able development. The donor agencies are also expected toassume the role of partners as this is perceived as a requisiteto ensure that the benefits of development initiatives accrueto a large section of the society.

Though the NGO sector has significantly expanded thescope of its operations graduating from voluntary service todevelopment initiatives, mediating and advocacy, there aremixed arguments about the impact of their activities. Whilesuccess stories including, though not limited to, EdhiFoundation, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, humanrights, and women's rights related efforts find extensive men-tion in the civil society literature, there are a number of fac-tors that hamper the results and the effectiveness of the wel-fare and development initiatives undertaken by the NGOs.Lack of institutional structure, irregular governmental regula-tion policy, lack of open system of accountability and trans-parency have been cited as prime reasons beyond the lowpotential of this sector.

Currently, there are 65,000 registered and more than 100,000unregistered non-profit organizations of different kindsworking in Pakistan.

The capacity of the NGOs is hampered by lack of educationand organizational skills. This has significantly impacted theirpotential while also affecting the results of the efforts of theNGOs. �