All-time low information disclosure in last six months

ISLAMABAD: The government is deviating from its own manifesto and has put the RTI law — the pilot project of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) – on the back burner. The ratio of information disclosure on RTI requests filed by citizen and journalists is all time low at 3.7 percent during last six months, analysis of official data reveals.

A total of 527 information requests were sent to the public departments of provincial as well as federal government and only 71 (13 percent) responses were received. Interestingly, out of these 71 responses, requested data was shared by only 20 government departments. The government departments in Sindh and Balochistan gave zero response against 100 information requests filed in each province, the official data reveals.

The ratio of government departments’ response to RTI requests during last six months has declined drastically. During last five years the government departments/ministries’ response against the RTI requests was 29 percent but it has dropped to 13 percent in the PTI-led government in Center and two provinces (Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).

The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) has launched a report on the status of Right to information in Pakistan. The report shows the status of implementation of RTI in two dimensions i.e (a) proactive disclosure and (b) reactive disclosure of information/response of information requests under RTI. A sample of ministries and provincial departments (59) was selected from all over Pakistan.

“On the Scale of online proactive disclosure of information, provincial and federal department’s websites were cross checked against the relevant clauses of proactive disclosure in RTI Law. Section 4 of Punjab RTI law, Section 5 of Federal and KP RTI Law and Section 6 of Sindh RTI Law; deals with a list of information to be proactively disclosed by the public bodies. The list includes description of public bodies’ organizational structure/organogram, functions, duties, staff directories, perks and privileges, policies and manuals, performance/evaluation reports, decision-making processes, detailed budget etc”, the report says.

In the assessment area of reactive disclosure or processing of information requests under RTI laws, response rate was only 13% and information disclosure was 3.7% only. A total 527 information requests were sent to public departments in Punjab (100), KP (100), Sindh (100), Federal (127) and Balochistan (100). The information requests were related to matters of public. Out of 527 information requests, overall only 71 responses were received from government departments. Out of 71 responses, requested data was shared by only 20 government departments. Out of 71, 12 responses were received from Punjab, 14 from federal, 45 from KP and 0 from the departments of Sindh and Balochistan. The assessment results are based on the responses from public bodies; not at any stage complaints were not lodged in appellate forums.

The stats show that implementation of RTI in Pakistan still has a long way to go in Pakistan. Merely passing the effective RTI laws is not enough until unless the wheel of secrecy is replaced by the policy of openness by government departments.

In the assessment area of proactive disclosure, overall results declare that an average of only 31% of information is proactively disclosed by the federal and provincial government departments under RTI. Further segregation of results; show that KP departments have disclosed 52% of information online. Amongst KP departments, maximum disclosure was done by Information and public relations department with 88%, on the contrary Mineral department is at lowest with 21%.

“Provincial departments of Punjab have disclosed 38% of information as per section 4 of Punjab RTI law. Amongst Punjab departments; Excise and Taxation has scored highest with 59% and lowest 12% information is disclosed by board of revenue department. Only 25% of information is disclosed by federal ministries and departments as per section 5 of Federal RTI Law. Amongst them, Pakistan Environmental protection agency (PEPA) has scored highest 44% and lowest ranking department is Ministry of Housing is at 12%. An average percentage of 12% of information is proactively disclosed by the Sindh departments as per section 6 of Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2016. Amongst Sindh Departments, highest percentage of information was achieved by Department of Forest and Wildlife with 21% and lowest is 6% by irrigation department. Balochistan province was not included in this assessment area because Balochistan RTI law lacks list of information for Proactive disclosure by public bodies”, the report says.

It is pertinent to mention here that during last five years, 2,635 information requests were filed by the citizens as well as journalists. Out of the 2,635 information requests, the government responded only to 788 (almost 29 percent), data reveals. According to the data obtained from Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), citizens and journalists have filed 2,635 information requests from 2015 to 2019 to various government departments by using the Right to Information (RTI) laws. However, only 788 (29 percent of the total) requests have been responded by the government departments. The remaining RTI requests have received no response.