The Nation: PK: Saturday, April 15,
2017.
While Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh have enacted effective right to information laws,
federal Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002 and Balochistan Freedom of
Information Act 2005 are the most ineffective right to information laws in the
country, according to Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives, (CPDI).
Both Freedom
of Information Ordinance 2002 and its replica in Balochistan in the shape of
Balochistan Freedom of Information Act 2005 are the weakest laws in Pakistan
and score only 30 points out of a total of 140 points on CPDI’s Score Sheet of
Right to Information Laws of Pakistan.
The most
robust and progressive law in Pakistan is the Punjab Transparency and Right to
Information Act 2013 which scores 139 points.Sindh Transparency and Right to
Information Act 2016 scores 130 points whereas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to
Information Act 2013 scores 129 points.
CPDI’s Score
Sheet of Right to Information Laws of Pakistan evaluates right to information
laws of the country on the yardstick of standards of effective right to
information legislation such as maximum disclosure, minimal exemptions,
obligation for proactive disclosure, process to facilitate access to
information, minimum cost for the requested information, and disclosure taking
precedence over exemption.
Right to
information is linked with all other basic rights. How can citizens of Pakistan
exercise their basic rights such as right to education and healthcare if they
do not have right to information held by public bodies.
PMLN
committed in Charter of Democracy signed 11 years ago in 2006 that Freedom of
Information Ordinance 2002 would be repealed and new effective right to
information law will be enacted at the federal level. Senate Special Committee
constituted to reconcile federal government draft and Right to Information Bill
approved by Senate Committee on Information and Broadcasting finalised its
recommendations in March last month. However, federal government failed to
present the draft right to information bill in the meeting of the federal
cabinet held on April 12 for its approval. Centre for Peace and Development
Initiatives, (CPDI) urges federal government to prioritise legislation on right
to information.
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