‘Right to Information: Need, Use and Status’

The News: Islamabad: Sunday, August 16, 2020.

PPP leader Farhatullah Babar said that Civil Society and journalists should use RTI act to the maximum.

Mr Babar was addressing a Webinar on “Right to Information: Need, Use and Status,” organised by Senior Journalist Forum here Friday. Veteran journalist M Ziauddin chaired the session.

He said that departments especially Ministry of Defence should put their record on website especially the record of their lands and plots allotted to them. He asked RTI Commission to impose fine on those offices, which try to stop the information.

Zahid Abdullah, Federal Information Commissioners, said that Freedom of Expression is not complete without Right to Information so it was incorporated in the 18th Amendment.

He said that the law is applicable on Federal institutions and sections. He said that every record even if classified stands declassified after 20 years. If any department does not furnish demanded documents, the Commission can be approached, He said that in 72 years, the State and its institutions kept the “right to ask” to themselves. Now citizens can ask.

He said that a Minister Incharge can classify a document but he has to give reasons arguing that making it public could be harmful to. He said that the Commission has an oversight over Minister’s arguments.

Zahid Abdullah said that we succeeded in breaking bureaucratic mindset. He said that an office either has to implement our order or it can approach high court. He said the Commission is putting information at www.rti.gov.pk on how to file on appeal on line.

Nasir Zaidi, General Secretary, PFUJ, said that RTI regime was “created” to tell the world that “we give information” but out of more than 570 applications in the last 18 months, only two were reported or referred to the Commission. He said that concentration camps of missing persons are there but no information is given. He referred to Ehsanullah Ehsan who in his audio message has said that he was asked by agencies to kill journalists in KPK. “I am disappointed over RTI,” he said. Civil society should do advocacy in this respect. He said that he was member of Press Council of Pakistan for six years but 100 per cent complaints were made complicated instead of responding. “Institutions are there but do not work,” he said.

Activists Farieha Aziz referred to occasions when lists sought were not provided. She said that after the promulgation of Cyber Crime Act, FIA does not want to give many documents. It also does not respond to the RIT Commission, she regretted.

Educationists Dr Nazir Mahmood said that he could not get information on the educational qualification of Education Ministers. He asked for putting declassified documents on websites to evaluate who is responsible for bad state of affairs in education sector.

Journalist Adnan Rehmat said that we got three institutions of military, judiciary and bureaucracy from colonial period and they remained in ruling mode while three institutions of political parties, media and city organisations were created by people and they stand for rights. He said at times political parties, media and city organisations also side with the powerful “ruling mode institutions” which weakens citizens’ troika. Media has become proxy spokespersons of Establishment now, he lamented. He said that mainstream median stands extinct in its real sense and people can now express their feelings only through social media.

In the question hour, Zahid Abdullah said that only those information was provided or leaked which the State institutions wanted to furnish. He said that so far we got 455 petitions and gave 80 actionable interventions. Farieha Aziz said that no reply so far was given on Single National Curriculum. Is it an issue of national security, she asked? A questioner asked if information be sought from institutions referred to as Military Incorporated as their stores do not charge sales tax while other stores charge it.

Thanking the participants, M Ziauddin endorsed and shared disappointments of Nasir Zaidi but stressed to take advantage of this window of opportunity.