Struggle of civil society organisations in Pakistan for pro-people legislation
Document begins: xxx Struggle of civil society 7 organisations in Pakistan for pro-people legislation Irfan Mufti Over the past decade, successive governments in Pakistan · Engage in a consultative process with a wide range of have tried to change the existing legislation governing civil organisations from all parts of the country. society organisations (CSOs). In 1995, a new bill, the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies Regulation and Control The core group felt there was a need to mobilise civil (Amendment) Act was introduced in parliament. Under society and build a broad-based movement to oppose the the bill, NGOs (both intermediaries and community-based law and suggest alternatives, but there was no formal organisations) would have to register with the state re p resentative body of civil society that could engage authorities and could be suspended or dissolved, thus g o v e rnment and political parties on their behalf. Most violating citizen's fundamental rights to association, NGOs operated with a welfare mindset and considere d expression, and assembly. According to government advocacy to be too `political'. There were also stro n g sources, the reason for introducing the law was that some d i ff e rences of opinion at the very ...
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