Evaluation of Ngos in Pakistan

The history of Pakistani NGOs has its roots back in time of partition. The settlement of the millions of the migrants was the biggest challenge for the newly independent country. Although not named them as NGOs at that time, many voluntary organizations and civil society played an important role in rehabilitation and settlement of the migrants who had travelled to Pakistan to settle in the new Muslim state. During the first few years of Pakistan, many of these organizations concentrated on rehabilitation, welfare and charity services.   During the period 1947-1958 these organizations together make immense contribution in the gigantic task of refugee settlement and to provide basic health and education facilities to the community.
The second phase of these organizations is the period from 1958 to 1971.   It was the period of first martial law in which the government and civil society relations took a few twists. In this period government tried to regularize the voluntary organizations by promulgating Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies Registration and Control Ordinance in 1961.   During the 1971 war, NGO sector again came out for relief activities and with the donations of local philanthropists a huge war relief activities were carried out.
The next era i.e. 1971-1977 is seen to be advantageous as well as disadvantageous for the civil society as the government tried to boost the NGO sector and encouraging it to play an important role in the development of the country. However, the nationalization policy of the Bhutto government did a great setback to the nonprofit sector because a number of educational institutions, trust and foundations setup and run by voluntary organizations were nationalized by the government. Resultantly many popular and credible organizations like Anjuman-e-Himayat-e-Islam and various Christian missions lost their premises and resources.
The next upsurge in the formation of NGOs took place in USSR-Afghan War during the period 1979-1989.   In...