PIC orders making public details of murder attempt on lawyer

LAHORE: The Punjab Information Commission (PIC) has ordered the IG Jails to make public within three days all details pertaining to a murder attempt on advocate Khadija Siddiqui of Lahore.

The commission also ordered making public the remission given during the last five years to Kot Lakhpat jail inmates involved in crimes against women. During the hearing of the Shazia Mehboob vs IG Jails case, Assistant Inspector General (Judicial) Dr Qadeer Alam sought exemption from providing the information under Section 13 (1) (B). The AIG (Judicial) prayed during arguments that under this section of private interest, any private information related to a person can’t be made public without his consent.

Explaining the section mentioned above, Chief Information Commissioner Mehboob Qadir Shah told the AIG (Judicial) that the criminals including Shah Hussain, who were involved in crimes against women, were given remission in sentences by the government. He said all government orders become public property after being issued. So the department concerned is bound to make public this information under the Right to Information Act.