KHAR: The Bajaur Development Network, a grouping of local non-governmental organisations, on Thursday complained about denial of funds by international donors for development projects.

They even threatened to agitate on the matter.

During a meeting here, participants said 20 local NGOs had been working in Bajaur Agency for several years but international donor agencies preferred non-local NGOs to them for development funds.

They said all local NGOs were registered with the Fata Secretariat, the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) and provincial social welfare department and fulfilled standard set by international donors for provision of funds.

The participants said international donor agencies were bound by their rules to preferlocal NGOs for funds but violation of such rules went unchecked.

They said performance of local NGOs was much better than that of their non-local contemporaries but even then, they were denied funds.

According to them, local NGOs produce better results compared to non-local NGOs due to better knowledge of local situation and needs and unrestricted movement.

The participants said provision of funds to local NGOs would not only ensure quality development work in the region but it would also help provide job opportunities to the local educated residents.

They said local NGOs preferred employing local residents for their projects.

The participants demanded intervention of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor, additional chief secretary of Fata and top managements of international donor agencies for provision of funds to local NGOs for development activities.