Due to Pakistan’s history as a colonized state, its close involvement with foreign aid, and the U.S.-led War on Terror, the people of Pakistan have come to view Western NGOs as threatening to a widely held Islamic identity. The paper will look at historical and recent events that have led to increased foreign involvement and the rise of NGOs in different sectors of the country. The threat that NGOs pose to Islamic identity will be discussed in light of this historical context, and examples will be provided of NGOs that do and do not acknowledge this context. After identifying tensions that exist between local communities and NGOs, some possible solutions will be advanced.
Historical Complexities of NGO Relationships in Pakistan
By: Meghan Davenport
