Shaheen Rafi Khan, Ali Shahrukh Pracha,  Nazima Shaheen, and Riaz Ahmed

2007

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a fast growing
trend in Pakistan. Large private corporations feel that their customers and
clients must see them as socially and environmentally responsible. This in
itself is a means of increasing market share, expanding client base, and emaining competitive.

However, the gap between rhetoric and reality is very
much in evidence. Case studies in forestry public-private partnerships (PPPs)
show that weak institutional checks allow firms with a CSR mandate to default
on their social and environmental obligations.

In light of the fact that certain local populations have
rights over forestland in Pakistan, we have devised a set of criteria for
forestry PPPs that cover three fundamental themes:

• Economic (domestic and international sales of timber and
  forest products)
• Environmental (sustainable harvesting and tree
  plantation)
• Social (assured livelihoods)

In addition, we reiterate that forestry PPPs cannot be
successful in Pakistan without the complete participation of all concerned
parties, namely, the forest communities, the Government of Pakistan (public),
private organizations (private financiers and managers), and local NGOs (as
intermediaries and liaisons between all parties).