Punjab RTI Act-2013 falls short of global standards

LAHORE: The Right to Information Act 2013 enacted in Punjab lacks three important aspects, due to which the Act does not meet the criteria of the United Nations Access to Information Agenda and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration for which urgent legislation is required.

According to documents obtained by “Jang”, the United Nations Access to Information Agenda and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a universal declaration that sets a standard for the protection of freedom of expression. The Model Freedom of Information Law has also been published which provides a model for a right to information law to be adopted by any country. The Model Freedom of Information Law, any person is allowed to file an application. The purpose of this inclusion is to extend the right to information to a wide range of people whereas the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013 restricts the right of access to information only to citizens, which is more limited in scope than the global model approach. The global model freedom of information laws include the provisions to address annoying repetitive or unreasonable requests. These provisions are intended to prevent abuse of the right to information while balancing the need for transparency. The Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013 does not contain specific provisions to deal with abusive or unreasonable requests. This shortcoming can potentially lead to challenges in handling such situations. Whistleblower protection is an important aspect of transparency laws by accessing and making information public under the globally accepted Model Freedom of Information Act. Model laws often include the provisions to protect individuals who disclose information to the public while the existing Right to Information Act in Punjab does not include specific provisions for the protection of whistleblowers. They may be discouraged from divulging information in the public interest.