NGOs respond to threats

Civil society organisations have condemned certain religious parties and figures for their “outragious allegations” against women working for NGOs, and the threat that they would be forcibly married if they continued to encourage too much independence for women and damage the social fabric of Pakistan, he ‘Nation’ newspaper reported on Friday. “We want the IIC (Islamic Ideology Council) to give a verdict on the demand of forcibly marrying off women working for NGOs,” it quoted Iqbal Bali, head of the NGO Nada Amir Haider Sangat, as saying. Bali was referring, in particular, to the threat of forced marrage by Azam Tariq, head of the Sipah-e-Sahaba Party. Many of the threats have emanated from Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province, where there have been reports of aid workers being attacked and female workers harassed. “The Mullahs are angry with us because they think we’re challenging their power, but the communities support us,” said Shekila Naz, who works for Khwedo Kor or Woman’s Home, in remarks quoted by the ‘Electronic Telegraph’. A ‘fatwa’ or edict was issued against the NGO earlier this month. An international NGO worker working on drought relief who declined to be identified, told IRIN he was “surprised and disappointed” that the government of Pakistan had not condemned the threats.