Pakistani NGOs blast govt's bid to 'create authoritarian state'

From: The News, 16 May 1999 (Section: National, Page 8)

[Pakistani] NGOs blast govt's bid to 'create authoritarian state'

HRCP, Shirkatgah, WAF, Ajoka condemn attack by Binyamin ; HRCP points out PM, CM had sent women in need of shelter to Dastak

By Our Correspondent

LAHORE: A number of human rights organizations (NGOs) based in the City have termed the goverment's onslaught against various NGOs and human rights organisations as a bid to create an authoritarian state.

Responding to Punjab Welfare Minister Pir Binyamin. Rizvi's harshly worded statement against NGOs, HRCP, Shirkat Gah, Ajoka and the women's Action Forum Saturday expressed grave concern over the high handed government approach. They criticised the government for ......... Binyamin loose on NGOs in a campaign to malign them.

In a statement, HRCP Chairperson Asma Jehanrir said some persons in the government were working to destroy every institution and establish a fascist regime in the name of Pakistan ideology. She condemned Binyamin Rizvi, saying his wild alligations' about NGOs, including HRCP, was yet another move of the government to harass the ....... civil society. "Mr Binyamin is not only a bully but also incompetent' she said.

Asma said the allegation that HRCP had to shelter to a girl with paramour showed that he did not even know that HRCP had no shelter home. He is obviously relerning to Dastak where no man is allowed to entec. Binyamin has maliciously tried to defame an organization which has provided shelter to hundreds of women, including two sent by the prime minister and one by the chief minister.
Asma said board members of Dastak were people of integrity, and they had run Dastak against allodds. The government prefers to offer distressed women custody homes where their movement is restricted and their fate sealed. They would rather see them killed than give them legal help to safegaurd their lives, she said.

Asma said Binyamin was either misinformed or deliberately lying. She maintained the problem did not lie with the NGOs but with the government itself. She said the government believed in high handedness to cover up its inefficiencies. They expect NGOs to ignore human rights violations committed by the government. Foreign funds should not pinch this government whose very bread and butter is dropped in the bowl by its foreign masters, she said.

Asma said HRCP had never played to anyone's tune even under threat and pressure. None of HRCP council members have drawn a single penny for their tireless work for upholding the rule of law and democracy, she said.
The Women Action Forum (WAF) also blasted the government for its anti-NGO campaign. The WAF passed three resolutions to condemn the government. This is a conspiracy to malign NGOs, and mislead the general puplic by la belling them anti-state, anti-religion, and immoral. Binyamin's statement about Ajoka, HRCP and Shirkat Gah, which have played a critical role in raising people's conscousness about human rights bears witness to this trend. The arbitrary way in which some organisations were banned also shows the government's contempt for legal procedure and people's rights WAF's resolution said.

Shirkat Gah, a research institution working for the welfare of women and related issues, also condemned Binyamin's statement , malighning well known human rights and women's rights NGOs, A press stetement said "unable to raise any concrete issues, the minister instead, has used abusive and obscene language in his campaign to viv-lify such organizations.

"We believe the Punjab government's intentions are mala-fide, and we reserve the right to take legal action.

The campaine to malign, NGO's serves the intrests of anti-democratic elements who wants to replace the role of law with a totalitarian regime. It is a move to silence all who are exercising their constitutional right to voice their opinion.We would like to remine the government that sucessive governments of Pakistan have invited shirkat Gah to help prepare poicy documents.

Shirkat Gah worked with the government to prepare National Report for Beijing Conference and the follow-up National Plans of Action for women launched by Prime Minister Nawas Sharif on August 14 1998, Shirkat Gah also helped in preparing National Conservation Strategy, adopted by Nawaz government in 1992, besides contributing to five year plans and other ppolicy initiatives.

In a similar reaction, Ajoka Theatre took strong exception to Binyamin's statement levelling "baseless and mischievous allegations". A press release issued by Ajoka said the vicious tone of the accusations was part of a campaign to intimidate and malign all those working for the cause of social justice and civil society.Ajoka challenged the minister to prove wronge doings or stop making "such prepostrous claims".

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