Over View of Civil Society in
Pakistan
Civil Society in Pakistan
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political parties,
Nongovernmental organizations,
Trade unions,
Professional associations,
Philanthropies,
Academia,
Independent and quasi-independent pressure groups,
Think tanks,
and traditional, informal
formations such as faith-based organizations, shrines,
seminaries, neighborhood associations,
 burial societies, jirgas and savings groups.
Typology
 NGOs (Non-Governmental Organization): Private, non-profit
citizen organizations, pressure groups and support centers. Also
referred to as the citizen sector.
 Community Based Organizations (CBOs): Membership-based,
grassroots organizations - a subset of NGOs.
 Trade Unions: Organized associations of the workers in an
industry or profession working for the protection and furtherance
of their rights and interests.
 CSOs (Civil Society Organizations): CSO is used as an umbrella
term to refer to NGOs, CBOs, think tanks, trade unions, cultural
groups and informal citizen organizations
Structure of Civil society in Pakistan
 According to Aga khan Development network
 There are 10,000 to 12,000 Registered NGO in
Pakistan.
 If unregistered are considered then the number
reaches 60,000.
 59% in Punjab, then in Sindh, then in K-P, Then
Baluchistan.
 Registered under five different laws.
 The Societies Act (1860), Companies Ordinance (1984), the Trust Act
(1882), the Charitable Endowments Act (1890), the Co-operative Act (1925)
and the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies (Registration and Control)
Ordinance (1961).
Thematic focus
 Education (including basic, Primary, adult and
informal) represents 56 percent of the total,
 Health and women’s development accounting for
39 percent.
 Other areas of focus include early childhood
development (15.2 percent), sports promotion
and recreation (12.3 percent) and community
development (12 percent). Intermediary NGOs
and support organizations are also most actively
engaged in education (69 percent); and
women’s issues (56 percent).
Sources of Funding
International Donations
 CIDA, SDC, USAID, DFID, UN, Embassies of Australia, Norway, Sweden,
Switzerland, the Netherlands
International NGOs
 Oxfam, Save the Children, Asia Foundation, British Council, Christen Social
Services, Action Aid etc.
Internal Fund Generation
 In 1998 Pakistanis gave an estimated Rs.41 billion in cash and kind, and
another estimated Rs.29 million in time. As much as 65 percent of all
monetary giving went to individuals, two-thirds of which was ‘zakat’
Membership Base
one-third had fewer than 50 individual
members,
17 percent had 50-99 members,
20 percent had 100-149 members,
5 percent of the total had more than 450
members.
Umbrella Bodies
 Pakistan NGO Forum [PNF]
 Advocacy Development Network,
 Co-ordination Council for Child Welfare,
 Women in Development (WID) networks,
 Rural Support Network (RSPN),
 Pakistan Reproductive Health Network (PRHN),
 Pakistan Education Network (PEN),
 Pakistan Microfinance Network
 Environmental NGOs Network.