The Pakistani government shut down the offices of the international aid group Save the Children in the capital city of Islamabad without giving any reason, officials said on Friday.
Pakistani officials sealed the group’s offices on Thursday night and asked employees to leave.
The foreign nationals working with the charity, which has been functional in Pakistan since 1979, were asked to leave the country within 15 days.
The number of foreigners currently working with Save the Children, Pakistan is unclear.
Government Refuses to Reveal the Reason for Closure
According to an official who asked to stay anonymous, their activities were being monitored since a long time. They were doing something which was against Pakistan’s interest.
Two government officials said the action was taken on orders from the Ministry of Interior.
I will not be commenting on a decision that has been taken by the government. Our decisions are always well considered.
-Qazi Khalilullah, Spokesperson, Foreign Ministry of Pakistan
But he referred all questions on the issue to the Ministry of Interior.
Previous Allegations
The Pakistani intelligence agency has accused Save the Children of facilitating a Pakistani Doctor Shakeel Afridi’s fake vaccination program in the city of Abbottabad, according to a report.
In May 2012, Dr Afridi was sent to jail for 33 years by the Tribal Justice System of Pakistan after a hearing held behind closed doors.
Under the pretext of a vaccination program, Dr Afridi was accused of giving DNA samples to the CIA.
The CIA used these samples to verify al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden’s presence in the city.
The court papers showed that he was sentenced for alleged links to a banned militant group and not a fake vaccination programme.
Only last week, the Pakistan Government had announced strict scrutiny of international NGOs in the country.
The official website of Save the Children does not mention the Pakistan office where all the recognised international offices have found a mention.
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