Islamabad: Authorities in Pakistan's largest province have ordered several women's and human rights groups to shut down, accusing them of unspecified "anti-state" activities, an official of a human rights group said.
Pakistan has toughened its stance against local and international non-government bodies in recent years, accusing some of using their work as a cover for espionage.
In 2015, it ordered Save the Children expelled but reversed the decision.
"They are shutting up people by harassment," I A Rehman, an official of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said.
Police and security officials have ordered about a dozen non-government organisations (NGOs) to halt operations, mostly in southern Punjab province, Rehman added, with groups working on women's and human rights appearing to be the main targets.
"The provincial government has given orders to district police offices that so-and-so organization has been indulging in anti-state activities, so ban this organization," he said.
Punjab's home minister, Rana Sanaullah, did not respond to written queries about the orders.
Two officials of non-government bodies in Punjab said police had ordered their employees to halt work.
"Yesterday, the police went to one of my colleagues in Bahawalpur and asked him to shut our office over there," said Mohammad Tehseen, director of South Asia Partnership Pakistan, which focuses on women's rights.
The police gave him a letter issued by the Punjab Home Department alleging that his organisation was "pursuing (an) anti-state agenda".
Tehseen denied the charge, and said the police would not specify any actions to support the accusation.
Telephone calls to police in the city of Bahawalpur went unanswered on Thursday and yesterday.
Other organisations have received similar letters, Rehman said.
