Non-profit sector in Pakistan: Government policy and future issues

Abstract

There is no clear-cut, comprehensive or cohesive government policy on non-profit organisations in Pakistan. Policy documents talk about non-profit organisations (NPOs) in a piecemeal fashion. The overall posture of national government towards the non-profit sector ranges from indifference to support for the type of organisations involved in social service delivery. In the case of NPOs engaged in advocacy, human rights and political education, government's posture ranges from indifference to hostility. Moreover, the overall macro-political environment plays an important role in shaping the government's attitude toward the non-profit sector. By and large, government policy towards the non-profit sector has lacked consistency. During the last decade or so, there seems to be a positive shift in the government's attitude particularly toward those NPOs which are involved in social service delivery. Some issues identified as crucial for the development of non-profit sector include legal status of non-profit organisations, financial sustainability, lack of professionalisation and training, accountability within the non-profit sector, and ideological/political attacks on non-profit organisations.