ISLAMABAD: To mark ‘Right to Information Day’ rallies, seminars and awareness walks held in different cities of Pakistan. The cause was to push the government to make the very essential bill ‘Right to Information’ that makes general public iquire any informtion including the financial matters of the public interest projects.
A study was also publsihed that says; Previous governments in Pakistan had failed in dispensing citizens with their right to access of information which is leading to eroding transparency and accountability in Pakistan.
A study revealed this focusing on the breach of Article 19-A of the Constitution that guarantees access to information by the state to its citizens, as well as, the Federal Right of Access to Information Act, 2017. The study tells that it was found that all federal ministries had performed poorly in complying with the act, resulting in impeding transparency, accountability and access to information.
None of the federal government in the past had taken any solid measure to implement this law. Seventeen of the total 46 federal ministries functional between the last day of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government and start of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led regime did not even have websites in this regard.
Moreover, the remaining 27 that did, most failed at complying with Section 5 of the Act which deals with the proactive disclosure requiring all federal public bodies, including federal ministries, to provide a set of a minimum of 39 categories of information.
“This also represents a failure to comply with its commitments made under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG relating to transparency, good governance, as well as, the development related to implementation of policy and statutory guarantees on access to information,” a passage of the study reads.
The study, conducted Institute of Research, Advocacy and Development, has been released on the eve of International Day for Universal Access to Information (IUDAI), which is globally commemorated every year on September 28.
At a separate event marking “Right to Information Day” Federal minister for information and broadcasting Fawad Ch stated that PTI government is fully aware of this basic right and understanding the demand of youth govt is mulling over introducing ‘right to information’ bill while terming it govt’s liability to uplift cognizance of the contemporary society.
Nationwide Pakistan Alliance on Right to Information Launched on the occasion of International Right to Know Day 2018
To carry out massive awreness and to push the government an alliance of various youth led organizations also launched at this ocassion. Leading the alliance Islamabad based civil society organization Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) in collaboration with Centre for Inclusive Governance (CIG) included ten civil society organizations in total to launch a weeklong celebration through awareness of Right to Information in over 50 districts of Pakistan. The Alliance members includes Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), Centre for Inclusive Governance (CIG), Youth Advocacy Network (YAN), IUCPSS, BRIDGES, Potohar Mental Health Association (PMHA), Foundation for Advocacy and Civic Education (FACE), Equality for All Development Organization (EFA), Centre for Policing and Security (CPS). These members have organize massive awareness and advocacy activities in over 50 districts of Pakistan to create awareness about Right to Information. Pakistan Alliance on Right to Information (PA-RTI) also raised a demand to Federal Government to notify Pakistan Information Commission, Punjab Government to allocate resources to Punjab Information Commission, Sindh Government to notify Sindh Information Commission and Balochistan Government to make legislation on Right to Information and notify Balochistan Information Commission so that transparency in the country can be achieved.
