ISLAMABAD: Speakers at an orientation session on ‘Safe charity practices in Karachi’ stressed on the need of coordination among all stakeholders to check the flow of money to banned charity groups.

In Pakistan, more than $ 5.4 billion is collected as charity annually. However, a significant portion of this money goes to charities being operated by the banned outfits and the people donating this money also remain oblivious of how their money is being used. Despite the fact that the National Action Plan (NAP) entails blocking of financial assets and supply lines of banned militant groups yet new groups under the garb of charity organizations keep on surfacing.

A similar charity organization has been launched recently in Karachi that has links to a political/ideological organization banned since 2012.

The orientation session was organised by Individualland Pakistan, a research based advocacy group on August 20 at a local hotel in Karachi. The session was aimed at orienting youth volunteers to conduct an awareness campaign on safe charity practices with the small traders in three prominent markets of Karachi, namely, Saddar, Boulton market and Tariq Road.

Presidents, vice presidents and other prominent members of traders’ associations also participated in the session. While addressing the participants, the president traders’ association Boulton market was of the view that “Small traders can play an important role in curtailing the financial resources of banned outfits as they often allow such charity groups to place their charity boxes at various shops for donations.”

President small traders’ association Tariq Road while speaking to the audience reiterated the need to stop the financing of banned charity organizations operating in Karachi. He was of the view that “We need to look out for banned charity organizations that collect donations in the name of downtrodden segments of the society.”

Participants lauded the efforts of Individualland Pakistan for highlighting such an important issue.—PR