The committee which met with Senator Hilal-ur-Rehman, constituted a sub-committee to look into the issue of not hiring of locals by INGOs and NGOs and directed the FATA Secretariat to provide complete details of all INGOs and NGOs working in the area, their projects, and hiring details of local and non-local employees with name, father's name, CNIC, designation, domicile and place of posting.
Senator Muhammad Saleh Shah said that Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the committee had recommended that the INGOs and NGOs working in FATA on different projects will be directed to strictly hire locals on different posts from grade 1 to 16 and the post above grade-16 will be filled through non-locals if suitable candidate are not available in FATA.
"The Directorate of FATA informed the committee through a briefing that only seven to eight NGOs are working in South Waziristan while according to the information over 64 NGOs are working in the agency," he said, adding that provision of wrong information is the breach of privilege of the committee therefore there is no justification for him to further attend this committee. He said and staged a walkout from the meeting but he later came back on the request of other members.
He told that some INGos are also involved in illegal activities in FATA which is another serious issue. Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) FATA Sikandar Qayyum told the committee that following the directions of Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and recommendation of the committee, the INGOs and NGOs have been asked to hire local people for their projects. However, he said, "The federal government signs memorandum of understanding (MoU) with INGOs; therefore, we have no direct control over these organizations." The major stakeholders in the process of binding NGOs and INGOs for recruitment of locals are the Social Welfare Department and Economic Affairs Division (EAD), he said, adding that both can devise a mechanism for regulating employment in NGOs and INGos at the time of registration and signing of the MoU.
The official told that FATA administration only issues no-objection certificate (NOCs) to these organizations and the condition to hire local people has been included in the NOCs. "We have informed these organizations if they fail to hire local people, their NOC will be cancelled," he said.
Another official of the FATA Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) informed the committee, "We have compiled the data of 17 NGOs and these organizations have hired over 45 percent locals for their projects." The FDMA is not a regulating body for NGOs and INGOs and they frame their own rules for employment, he added. Hilal-ur-Rehman said that the administration should ensure that the funds donated by donors for FATA should be used for the betterment of the area.
The committee also gave one week deadline to FATA Secretariat for improving the standard of education at Governor Model School Tank; otherwise, the committee would explore other measures to revive its past glory.
Rehman during the meeting expressed serious reservations over the deteriorating state of standard of education at Governor Model School Tank. Students from the adjacent tribal areas study in the school, which is serving as one of the best available education institutions in the area. Earlier, Senator Saleh Shah from South Waziristan briefed the committee members on the pathetic state of education of the school, saying that its strength has decreased to 100 students only at a time when the institute some years back had strength of 1,300 students.
Shah questioned the committee as to why the education standard of the school is showing downward trend, adding salary of the staff is meagre, ranging from Rs 12,000 to 15,000 per month. Qayyum said that he would resolve all problems being faced by the Governor Model School Tank within ten days after holding meetings with all stakeholders.