PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar here on Wednesday urged the people to benefit from the provincial government’s commission on the right to information for their welfare and for eliminating corruption from the society.

The event was arranged at the Edwardes College Peshawar to create awareness among students, teachers and other employees about the law regarding the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa RTI Act 2013.

Information commissioner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa RTI Commission Professor Kalimullah said the province was the first in the country to introduce the law, which was meant to empower the people and eliminate corruption from government institutions.

“For the welfare of the society, you should inform others about the importance of the RTI law and its importance in making a good society,” he asked participants.

Official says transparent system introduced for access to information

Kalimullah said the RTI law was the need of the hour and that was why it had been introduced in the province to introduce a transparent system for getting access to information.

He said it was a long awaited demand of the people.

Commissioner of the commission Abdul Matin said nobody could dare disobey the provincial law on the right to information though there was resistance from some quarters but no request for information had been turned down in the province.

He said the law was in place to bridge the gap between the rulers and the public, which had all necessary features to assist the public.

“I am not disappointed as for nine months, we have successfully obtained information from government departments that the applicants have requested,” he said.

Highlighting the RTI law’s importance, Matin said only the rule of law ensured peace and that unless the law was implemented in letter and spirit, no nation could achieve peace and tranquility and once the law prevailed, peace was the ultimate outcome.

The seminar in which RTI chief information commissioner Sahibzada Mohammad Khalid, information commissioner Professor Kalimullah and noted academicians including Professor Javed Hayat and Professor Nasir Iqbal participated was arranged to enlighten students about the importance of the law in checking corruption and ensuring transparency in public-funded departments.

He said the RTI law had overruling effect on other prevailing laws in the province to do away with the last 90 years culture of secrecy and nepotism in government departments.

“The applicants seeking information under the law cannot go from table to table and that is why there are public information officers appointed in every government department, which not only will forward the application but will also assist the applicant in writing the application if he or she is illiterate,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2014