RTI linked to basic human rights

PESHAWAR: Right to Information (RTI) can empower citizens to attain basic human rights, said speakers at a day-long seminar in Tank on Thursday.The seminar was aimed at training the village council secretaries as RTI ambassadors in their domains to educate citizens on RTI as their basic human right.Syed Saadat Jahan, assistant director, communication, was the main speaker.More than 50 village secretaries including assistant director of local government, South Waziristan, attended the seminar. The village secretaries have been notified as Public Information Officers (PIOs).

Saadat urged the participants to play their role in eradicating corruption by ensuring easy access to information in the public offices. He informed the village secretaries about their responsibilities as public information officers and stressed that they should also provide all possible support to the citizens, especially the less educated people, in submitting information requests.Noor Said, another speaker, said the RTI provided protection to PIOs so that they could feel free to provide information to citizens on their request.