29 May 2004	Saturday	09 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

ABBOTTABAD, May 28: National Assembly Deputy Speaker Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob has stated that freedom of information is necessary for the promotion of good governance.

He was speaking at a one-day workshop on the "Freedom of Information" organized by the Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan here at a local hotel on Thursday.

He said low literacy rate in the country discouraged people's access to information, and urged local governments to focus on education to help citizens benefit from this freedom.

Senator Begum Fakahruzzaman, MPAs Riffat Akbar Swati, Yasmin Khan, Qazi Muhammad Asad Khan, Syed Kosar Naqvi, Press Clubs Council president Sardar Abrar Rasheed, Hifz ur Rehamn and others also spoke on the occasion.

Speakers demanded early enactment of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in the NWFP. Many government departments were opposed to giving information to journalists or any other citizen on the pretext of using Secrets Act 1923, which had promoted a culture of mistrust, they added.

They were of the view that except the classified documents, all other information should be passed on to the public so they could take active part in the development of the country.