NGO Save the Children closes all offices in Pakistan following ban

A local worker with the international aid group Save the Children says the group has shut down all its offices in Pakistan after the government shuttered its main office in Islamabad, raising fear among other organisations whether the government could target them next.

The worker said today that the group "voluntarily" closed its offices on Friday in the northwestern city of Peshawar, the southern city of Karachi, the eastern city of Lahore and the southwestern city of Quetta. He spoke on condition of anonymity as the group hadn't authorised him to speak publicly.

The move came after Pakistan's government on Thursday shut the group's main office in Islamabad for allegedly violating its charter.

The decision drew international criticism, but Pakistan says it will not allow any non-government organisation to work against its interests.