Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: It was shocking that some foreign funded non government organizations (NGOs) were still operating secretly in all provinces particularly in Punjab, Khyber Pakhktunkhwa and Northern Areas despite of cancellation of their registration with Economic Affairs Division (EAD).

These foreign aided NGOs have become security risk as most of them didn’t bother to re-validate their licenses and get clearance from Home Department of provinces concerned to carry their activities. The foreign contacts and International Non Government Organizations (INGOs) have shortlisted their like-minded NGOs and they simply send money and contract to these NGOs to achieve their nefarious goals.

For example, in view of current law and order situation the Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad had directed Sungi Development Foundation to stop its all activities across the district on its failure to get registered with Economic Affairs Division Islamabad but the NGO was continuing its hidden activities.

Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability (TDEA), a spin off of FAFEN has sent a contract to Sungi Development Foundation, Abbottabad to start a social mobilization process for Battagram district and in return they would receive seven million rupees. A former Executive Director (ED) of Sungi Development Foundation operating in Abbottabad, Chaudhry Inayatullah had revealed that the MoU of Sungi had been canceled but it was still performing hidden activities in entire Hazara region and Mardan, Sawabi, Dir and Attock. No any district had given NOC to this organization.

He said this was being done on the behest of a board member of Sungi Khalid Saleem who was also a full time employee of USAID.

An American outfit had given contract to Sungi to perform activities in Bannu, Battagram, Dir and Shangla in the name of capacity building of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA-KP) despite of having information that the MoU of Sungi was canceled. PDMA was also aware of this fact but it was fully cooperating and allowing them to perform activities.

The OXFAM Novib had provided funds to Sungi to perform social mobilization and sex education work in Mardan and Swabi and fielded a foreign mission which was not allowed to work in Haripur by the District Administration but the then Sungi’s Director Operation Omar Javed bribed the district administration to let the activities be done under the table, Chaudhry Inayatullah further revealed.

He said DAI was an American company and was funding a multi-million pound project (funded by DFID) in 45 district of Punjab and KP through Sungi Development Foundation and several other NGOs to promote voice and accountability in these districts but no tangible progress was witnessed. The money is just pumped in to raise their slaves to be used in future at an opportune time.

Sungi didn’t propose projects but it just used to receive the project details through E-mail from international donors companies and start work in areas told by its international master.

Providing details of corruption and mismanagement, Chaudhry Inayatullah said the current members of the board of governors of Sungi were sitting for the last 27 years, since its inception in 1989, saying that the board has to be revised after every two years in accordance of law.

He said that on the advice of Chairperson Sungi Humera, the Finance Director Malik Syed Ahmed Kamal who was former employee of Mobilink worked with Mobilink Microfinance Bank to sign a contract with it and transfer an estimated amount of 10 crores rupees to Mobilink Microfinance Bank for the provision of micro-credit to the beneficiaries of Sungi in Hazara region.

The profit ratio that he agreed with Mobilink was 30 percent and 70 meaning 30 percent share of Mobilink and 70 of Sungi. According to the contract all the operational cost had to be borne by Sungi and pay to the staff of Mobilink. Further, all the risk in case of default has to be covered by Sungi.

Likewise, Sungi received a lot of funds from the donors for people affected by earthquake in 2005 and due to floods in 2010. Upon the advice of the board total amount was not spent for the rehabilitation of affected people and a substantial amount of funds about 87 million rupees were kept as saving.

Further, the unspent funds were not returned to donors and reflected it as saving of Sungi and endowment. At the top of it, Sungi charged donors at a much higher rate on account of salaries but paid far less to the staff.

From above savings, Sungi board decided to purchase 27 Kanal land with amount of 38 million rupees in Shimla Hill for construction of its office but later the board decided to build a housing colony on this land.

Inayatullah said that he had moved an application with Interior Ministry regarding the corruption, mismanagement and illegal hidden activities of Sungi.

When contacted Chairperson Sungi, Humera Malik refused to comment on the matter citing that one should have not approached directly Chairperson of the organization to get information on such issue. Later, she said she was not a chairperson of Sungi which earlier she had accepted.