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| September 29, 2006 | Friday | Ramazan 5, 1427 |
Govt asked to amend official secrets act
ISLAMABAD, Sept 28: Pakistan Muslim League (PML) secretary-general Senator Mushahid Hussain on Thursday urged the government to broaden its freedom of information law and drastically amend the outdated official secrets act.
Speaking at a policy dialogue on freedom of information in Pakistan in connection with the 3rd International Right to Know Day, he said although access to information was an inalienable right of the people guaranteed by the Constitution but it was routinely denied. “This doesn’t happen only here but all over the world,” he added.
Mr Hussain said the government would have to do away with lot of assumptions and exemptions in the freedom of information law. “The people should at least have access to what concerns their present, their future and their past.”
Hiding information is the traditional mindset of the bureaucracy, he said and added that this has to change. Pakistan, he said, took a right step by promulgating the Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002, but the biggest challenge is that of its implementation.
He defended President Musharraf, who is being accused by the opposition parties of violating his oath of office and disclosing official secrets in his book In the Line of Fire, saying he upheld the right to know.
“A debate and discussion has been initiated and this is all part of democracy.”
Senator Mushahid said because of increasing freedom of information there were no more holy cows and there was more maturity in the country. He quoted one of the country’s elite intelligence outfits chief as having told him that newspapers were the biggest source of information for his agency.
He said the media, civil society and the parliament were key to promoting culture of openness in the country. Lambasting the critics of the government on the issue of freedom of information, he said hypocrisy was prevalent in society and there was decline of moral values.
Speaking on the occasion, federal law minister Wasi Zafar said the government had done a favour to the nation by enacting the Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002.
“A step has been taken in the right direction and it needs to be appreciated.”
He differed with Senator Mushahid’s call for drastically amending the official secret act and said it had already been amended significantly and the remaining things were there to remain for ever.
The act, he said, was not in conflict with freedom of information. He said President Musharraf’s disclosures did not fall in the category of violation of the secret act.
He said people talking about the president’s violation of his oath of office might be having vested interests.
Asia Foundation representative Hamid Sharif said the freedom of information law fell short of international standards as it had a long list of exemptions; entitled only citizens of Pakistan to information, the purpose of seeking information has to be stated and there is no protection for the whistle blowers.
He said it was sad to note that the freedom of information law was given by a military government, while the previous democratic governments did not bother about it. Nevertheless, its heartening that the opposition’s Charter of Democracy speaks about it.
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