RTI Law ‘can ensure transparency and accountability at all levels’

Islamabad

Right to Information (RTI) Law can play a pivotal role in ensuring transparency and accountability at all levels, said the speakers while addressing a seminar organised on Wednesday to commemorate World Press Freedom Day.

Organised by Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) in collaboration with Preston University, the seminar titled ‘Using Right to Information Law for Investigative Reporting in Pakistan’ was attended by a large number of students who interacted extensively with the speakers asking them question related to role of media in current situation. They had many queries and complaints to make with regard to media conduct.

Information Commissioner from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Abdul Mateen talked about the experience of KP in implementation of RTI law. He said that the commission is accepting complaints against all organisation performing public functions be it private or public. He said that the law has 89 per cent success rate and people have asked for all kind of information from the public offices. “People have asked questions about the cost of helicopter travel of chief minister and data on petrol expenditure of deputy commissioners. There was resistance from relevant departments in start but at the end, they abide the law on our insistence,” said Mateen.

Mateen stressed the need to create more awareness about the law among the general public so that the true benefit of the legislation can reach the grassroots level. “I accept the fact that awareness about the law is very low especially in rural areas,” he said.

SSDO Executive Director Syed Kausar Abbas said that RTI law has brought quiet effective mechanism to get the inside stories for research based journalism in Pakistan. “Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013 and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act 2013 has immense potential to be used as a tool for investigative reporting.”

He said that with the enactment of this law, journalists in Punjab and KP have the legislative framework under which they can access the certified information from public bodies. He also introduced the campaign titled ‘Jawab Dahi Mera Haq Hay’ to the students urging them to hold the public offices accountable by using their right to information guaranteed in the RTI law.