The Church in Pakistan has played a pivotal role in the development of the country, through its several charitable institutions. These institutions include most well-reputed educational institutes, health sector facilities, drug rehabilitation centres, orphanages, widow homes, vocational centres and skill development training centres along with various other welfare and relief initiatives. Christians educational system was the largest in the country in the 1960’s and has been continuously serving the country since then. The Church’s unprecedented contributions in upbringing of the educational standards nation-wide, despite challenges like nationalism and extremism can never be denied. In Christian institutes more than 60% students enrolled on the annual basis are Muslims, these institutions are highly preferred not only by the country’s elite, lower/upper middle classes including the poor because of its rich alumni and higher academic achievements. Similarly, the health institutions also had served in the major wars of 1965 and 1971, they have also contributed in wave of war on terror in country in 2000’s and also in national disasters, especially in the recent pandemic. These institutions provide free services to vulnerable groups of society, especially to the religious
minorities.
Since, last two years, these institutions have been under serious financial crises, due to
restrictions imposed in the wake of international watchdog on terror funding Financial Action Task Force (FATF) strict conditions. The Church institutions and welfare initiatives are running on the basis of foreign fundings and grant from the past 75 years, under the 1860s Societies registration Act. The Church is not an NGO, but a religious Charitable Institution. Due to stop in the Church funding, its institutions are facing challenges like organizational downsizing, stopping of welfare projects and is also badly affecting the quality of public service delivery of these well-reputed institutions. It is also rising the rate of unemployment and poverty. Consequently, the situation is drifting towards the closure of these historical institutions.
High Court Lawyer Asad Jamal, contextualizing the financial restrictions said that, post 9/11 in General Musharaf regime, the attempt was made to restrict terror funding when
amendments were made in Societies Registration Act in 2005 with an aim to regulate and monitor the funding received by militant organisations and religious seminaries in order to curb the terror funding in the name of Islam. But unfortunately, this objective was not achieved as desired, which hardened the stance of FATF in the shape of strict restrictions.
Advocate Asad informed, that In 2012-13 launched new policies regarding NGOs and
INGOs, in which the contract with the Economic Affair Division was made mandatory, if
organisations were receiving foreign aid or funding. Plan of government was to resist the money laundering and stop terror funding to organisations and individuals in Pakistan. Rather, than making reforms through the legislative bodies, government had launched strict policy for all of the Organization, including minority’s religious Institutions, i.e. Church. There was no rational argument or logic given to the Church in this regard. This initiative was criticized and challenged at various stages. Sindh High Court (SHC) verdict has suspended EAD rules and have termed them constructive without the legislation. Further, he said that our government has the best of the Intelligence agencies, they must have investigated the profiles of organizations, and must have categorized the organizations before imposing such strict policies. Without any evidence or investigation, generalizing the same policies for all kind of the organizations, is unfair, he added
“From these funds, church not only looks after its institutions, working for welfare of the
society, but also protect and gratify their religious needs. This is their fundamental right as the citizens of Pakistan”, Asad maintained
Zaheer Abbas who is Diocesan Treasure at Diocese of Raiwind Church of Pakistan (COP)
Lahore, pointed out that in the years 2013-14 rules were revised regarding the Non-
Government Organizations with aim to control the money laundering and terror financing in the response to FATF’s worldwide polices in order to resist the terrorism and illegal financial transfers. These rules were mainly revised for NGOs as most organizations alleged of illegal funding were of such kind, but unfortunately Church was included in the same scanner of NGO, as Church is not NGO but a Charitable religious organization of minorities.
The Church is not resentful of being held accountable to the government as the uncountable services of Church institutions are not only transparent but are recognized nation-wide. Church has never been blamed on any allegation’s terrorism and money laundering.
Highlighting the challenges faced due to strict revised policies for Church Zaheer Abbas said that the Church is supposed to obtain clearance certificates from a number of entities under revised rules. He further clarified that, first a) Church has to be registered to Register of Join staff under Society Act b) than registration at Punjab Charitable Commission of Church is mandatory after that c)Church has to submit all audit reports to FBR to obtain tax exemption
certificate, d)than Pakistan Philanthropy Center Islamabad has to certify the Church and after all these prolonged stages at last e) The Church applies to Economic affair Division (EAD) after the clarification of Board members from several security agencies to gain permission of government.
In addition, Zaheer also said that this prolonged and lengthy process under revised policies took more than two years to get processed for Raiwind Diocese. The case is still pending, because the rules of Economic Affairs Department (EAD) were suspended by the Sindh High Court in March-April this year. The SHC verdicts say that EAD revised rules lack legislative
approval. Post that, EAD is seeking directions from the Government for further line of
directions, but due to current political instability in the country, this matter of Raiwind
Diocese is still delayed. Church is suffering due to this prolonged delay, resulting in
downsizing, administrative crises, unemployment and keeping the high reputation of service delivery of these historical institutions in Punjab.
He further added that, Moderator Bishop Azad Marshal of Raiwind Diocese Church of
Pakistan has appealed for the rules relaxation for the Church being religious organization of minorities to past PTI’s government, and has also asked Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for his assistance in the matter, but still waiting for their response, he added
The Sialkot’s Bishop Ibrahim Daniel, underlined that in Interior Punjab, there are several
small community Churches, which are run on with the support of small communities. Their monthly revenue is below 30-40 thousand rupees. These Churches struggle to meet their needs of electricity bills and salaries of security and clerical staff. Such small Churches are also struggling to open their bank accounts due to these revised policies of the government.
Furthermore, Bishop urged the government to clarify the criteria and rules for all of the
organizations. As far as Churches are concerned, the government should bifurcate the rules, keeping in consideration the volume, area and transactional history of the Church.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Member of National Assembly Jamshed Thomas, said that it’s
important for the government to devise separate registration processes for Institutions of Church, other than NGOs. He also articulated that, to ensure monetary transparency, Church institutions should be monitored by the separate state body. The review in policy must be incorporated on priority basis in order to ease the rules for Church institutions. This will not only abstain financial tension in these historically rich institutions, but also will develop the marginalized communities of the society.
“The Church institutions are suffering from financial crises since the last two years,
government must timely solve this issue, as further delay will be immensely unfair to these centuries old honest, dedicated and historical institutions of Pakistan” he concluded
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