Call to enforce Right to Info Law

LAHORE: With low response rate of government departments towards information requests filed under Rights to Information (RTI) Law, the Law faces serious implementation challenges which required urgent government attention to strengthen RTI in public institutions and empower Punjab Information Commission.

The above-mentioned observation makes part of the findings of a research titled “The Efficiency and Implementation of Right to Information Law in the Province of Punjab” conducted by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO).

To assess the state of the implementation of RTI law, the SSDO conducted a study in which the SSDO research team sent 194 requests seeking information to four selected district departments in 36 districts of Punjab province.

These departments were office of Deputy Commissioner, office of District Police Officer, District Health Authority and District Education Authority were sent information request to seek the information related to budget allocation and expenditures over the past fiscal year. Objectives of the study were to identify gaps in the implementation of Punjab Transparency and RTI Act, 2013, and observe the response of public bodies towards the applications made under the law. As a first step, the requests seeking basic information about the working of selected departments were sent to the relevant officers to check whether the response is received within the timeline of 14 days given in the law. In cases where no response was received in the stipulated timeline, the research team filed complaint in the Punjab Information Commission, which, under the law, can take action within 60 days.

The findings establish the fact that the government departments are not taking the RTI requests seriously. Out of total 194 requests made, only 36 requests received response and in only 20 cases, the response was received within 14 days.

The remaining 16 responses were received after filing complaint with the commission. Seventeen districts of Punjab did not respond to any of the information requests. These districts includes Pakpattan, Khanewal, Mianwali, Rajanpur, Lodhran, Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan, Faisalabad, Kasur, DG Khan, Narowal, Okara, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Multan.

The findings also depict the fact that like many other human rights related laws, the Punjab Transparency and RTI Act, 2013 also faces serious implementation challenges. Talking to media, Executive Director SSDO Syed Kausar Abbas said that having a comprehensive RTI law was a big achievement for a developing country like Pakistan.