Wednesday’s attack on the office of an American charity in Oghi, in the NWFP’s Mansehra district, reflects the insecure atmosphere in which foreign NGOs work in Pakistan.

Suspected militants stormed the office of World Vision, a Christian charity, killing at least five workers of the NGO, including two women, and injuring around half a dozen people. The five victims are said to be Pakistani. The NGO — which had been active in the area since the October 2005 earthquake — has decided to suspend operations across Pakistan.

This is not the first time foreign NGOs and aid agencies have been attacked in the country. Four local staffers were killed in a similar attack on the office of a British charity in Mansehra in 2008, while its building was torched. Last year the office of the United Nations’ World Food Programme in Islamabad was also targeted, while seven people were killed in the gruesome attack on a Christian charity in Karachi’s Rimpa Plaza in 2002.

Though no group has as yet claimed responsibility for the Oghi attack, local police and observers strongly believe the Taliban or allied extremists to be involved. A local police officer was quoted as saying that those behind the attack were the same forces responsible for blowing up schools.

Oghi is situated next to Kala Dhaka, where militants fleeing Swat are believed to have taken refuge. Religious extremists, in fact, bear particular animus towards foreign NGOs, especially faith-based charities. Foreign NGOs should liaise with the government where matters of security are concerned, especially in areas where the threat of extremist attacks is high. For its part, the government must beef up security for these organisations lest they are forced to pack up and leave, which would have a negative impact on those underprivileged sections of society who benefit from their activities.

Dawn.com