Muzaffarabad, (Liaqat Bashir Farooqui) : In a shocking exposé, the Azad Kashmir government stands accused of a series of questionable actions that have allowed the US-based foreign NGO, Alight USA, to operate within its territory without the mandatory security clearance. Furthermore, the government is all set to award a substantial $22 million foreign-funded project, titled “Reaching Out – Out-of-School Children,” to this same organization, despite it having been disqualified earlier due to a security clearance denial. These actions raise concerns about national security and the interests of Pakistan.
Initial Disqualification Over Security Clearance
The story began in July 2020 when Alight was initially chosen to implement the “Reaching Out – Out-of-School Children” project, on the condition that it obtain the required security clearance within 30 days. When Alight failed to meet this requirement, the authorities in Azad Kashmir disqualified the organization from the project.
On August 6, 2020, Safdar Hussain Bukhari, responsible for monitoring and evaluating the IsDB Assisted Project for Elementary and Secondary Education, wrote to Alight, officially disqualifying them for failing to provide the necessary No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the project.
A Complex Web of Developments and Omissions
As time passed, the situation grew increasingly intricate. In October 2020, even after Alight’s disqualification, the Home Department of the Azad Kashmir government responded to a letter from the Interior Ministry. It emphasized that the Memorandum of Association between the Government of Pakistan and Alight did not authorize Azad Jammu and Kashmir as a territory for the organization’s activities. The letter further noted that Alight had not received security clearance due to the unique security status of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Home Department suggested that the issuance of an NOC could be considered if Azad Kashmir were included in the Memorandum of Association and security clearance was granted to Alight. It’s noteworthy that Alight had already failed to meet the 30-day deadline for security clearance, a detail not mentioned in the Home Department’s letter.
Government Complications and Inconsistent Handling
In November 2020, the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Pakistan requested the Ministry of Interior to seek input from the Government of Azad Kashmir before expanding the working areas of an INGO to Azad Kashmir. This request was made due to Alight’s disqualification by the Azad Kashmir Elementary and Secondary Education Department in August 2020. The letter also indicated that the Economic Affairs Division did not support projects by Alight in Azad Kashmir without prior approval from security agencies and the Government of Azad Kashmir.
On December 30, 2020, the Home Department of Azad Kashmir reiterated that security clearance was a prerequisite for granting an NOC to INGOs. The submission from the Directorate of Social Welfare/NGO Coordination Regulatory Cell was deemed incomplete, and the absence of security clearance led to the rejection of Alight’s NOC application.
The Zigzag Path to Reinstating the NOC
While Alight was seeking permission to operate in Azad Kashmir, the government of Balochistan suspended the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Alight and the Directorate of Literacy and Non-Formal Education due to the organization’s inability to provide the required security clearance.
In a perplexing turn of events, on March 3, 2022, the Home Department of Azad Jammu and Kashmir issued an NOC allowing the extension of the MOU signed between the Economic Affairs Division of the Government of Pakistan and Alight. This decision was made despite the lack of clear evidence of security clearance, which is a prerequisite for such operations. The approval was based on recommendations received from the Social Welfare & Women Development Department on September 28, 2021, and the Ministry of Interior’s letter on February 16, 2022. This development has added another layer of complexity to the ongoing controversy surrounding Alight’s operations in Azad Kashmir.
Complexity in Security Clearance and Influential Backers
However, the approval came with several conditions, including obtaining proper registration and endorsement in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, restrictions on GPS usage, adherence to local laws, and more. Notably, these terms and conditions were established after Alight’s initial disqualification for failing to obtain security clearance within the stipulated time frame, or perhaps even after that. This sequence of events has raised significant questions about transparency and fairness in the process.
Several controversial aspects of this situation continue to raise questions. Firstly, there is no mention of security clearance from Pakistan’s security agencies in the NOC, even though it was a prerequisite for Alight’s involvement.
The re-entry of Alight into the project after an initial disqualification due to a lack of security clearance hints at preferential treatment, which stands in contrast to the standards typically enforced in such cases. The absence of transparency in addressing these concerns deepens the controversy.
Additionally, the approval process raises questions about whether Alight had influential backers or political support that allowed them to bypass the initial disqualification for failing to obtain a security clearance or exempting it from obtaining security clearance, possibly indicating favoritism in the process.
Puzzling Revelations and the AJK High Court Intervention
On March 21, 2022, the Social Welfare Department sent a letter to Alight, informing them that they had issued an NOC for the “Reaching out of School Children” project in Azad Kashmir. The puzzling aspect here is how the Deputy Project Director of the IsDB Assisted Projects claimed knowledge of the contents of this letter before it officially reached Alight. It prompts questions about prior communication between the Deputy Project Director and the Social Welfare Department or other channels for the information to be shared.
Revocations and Conditional Reinstatements
The situation took a more perplexing turn on June 2, 2022, when the Social Welfare Department canceled the NOC issued to Alight. However, on August 29, 2022, the same department reinstated the NOC, albeit conditionally. The lack of specific conditions in the letter raises concerns about transparency and regulatory oversight.
Backdated MOU and High Court Intervention
Finally, on February 13, 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the Elementary and Secondary Education Department and Alight was announced, with numerous international organizations and dignitaries expected to attend. However, the AJK High Court issued an order to stay the ceremony on February 14, 2023. Notably, the MoU was not officially signed during the event, and a backdated date of February 13, 2023, raised suspicions of impropriety.
These events, combined with the complicated journey of Alight’s involvement in Azad Kashmir, highlight a complex situation mired in controversy, kickbacks, commissions, favoritism, and questions about transparency. It has raised concerns about the integrity of the decision-making process and the potential impact on national security and interests.