August 29, 2007	Wednesday	Sha’aban 15, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Aug 28: Speakers at a workshop urged the government on Tuesday to introduce and enforce legislation to provide common man access to information as the right to information.

The day-long moot was organised by Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid (SHARP) on Freedom of Information. The speakers were of the view that the right to information possesses a significant role in developing societies and nations.

The main objective of the workshop was to introduce the two mingled terminologies of ‘Rights to Information’, and ‘Freedom of Information, and the role of government departments in information-sharing and laws made to protecting this right and international instruments to deal with the issue’.

Inaugurating the workshop S. Liaquat Banori, Chairman SHARP, said that Pakistan was the first country introducing the Freedom of Information (FOI) Ordinance. However, he asserted that more had to be done in this regard for the effective use of information by the stakeholders.

“It is the prime responsibility of the media and civil society to make the public aware so that the people could benefit from the public interest legislation.”

He informed the participants from different walks of life including lawyers, police officers, civil society members and media about the implementation mechanisms and procedures for obtaining the information.

Zahid Abdullah from CPDI elaborated the general concept of “right to information”, its implementation and comparisons with international instruments and legislation. He gave an overview of the need and importance of the law and emphasized upon effective implementation mechanism for achieving goals according to the spirit of the legislation.

Mukhtar Ahmed Ali from CPDI, in his presentation, elaborated the tools and sources of provincial and local instruments providing access to information.

He was of the view that the FOI is available at federal level and in Sindh province. —APP