ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has ordered 18 international aid organizations to close, threatening the assistance they provide to some of the country's most vulnerable, say international aid workers.
There was no official explanation from the new government Friday and there was no response to queries about the closures from the Interior Ministry, which issued the order. The Information Ministry and Foreign Ministry also did not respond to The Associated Press requests for comments.
The organizations have been given 60 days to wrap up their operations, said Imran Yusuf Shami, country director for Plan International, whose organization was told its registration had been denied. Headquartered in Britain, Plan International is a global organization that focuses on education and child rights.
Shami said the closures will hurt hundreds of thousands of Pakistan's neediest people.
