THIS refers to an attractive though fallacious advertisement that appeared recently in many newspapers extolling the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It says, “Government working is no more secret” and “access to official information your constitutional and legal right”. The truth is otherwise.

Last October I applied to the Galiyat Development Authority, requesting information regarding encroachments in the Galiyat, commercial or non-conforming use or use as guest houses of residential houses and data of conversion from residential to commercial use. Under the Right To Information Act 2013, the GDA is obliged to provide the information in 20 days.

My urgency in seeking this information is that I am being threatened with cancellation of my plot on malafide and baseless allegation of non-conforming use and encroachment.

The information I sought is required in the legal action set afoot by me to protect my constitutional and legal rights. I routed my request through the RTI Commission and, despite numerous reminders from the Commission, the GDA has failed to respond.

After 150 days, the GDA replied that they had no list of houses being used for commercial activity and no list of houses that had been officially converted from residential to commercial use. This reply from a state functionary is incorrect as just a few days later at the GDA Board meeting the same list was presented by the GDA.

I then requested the RTI commission to take appropriate action against the GDA officials for withholding information and providing false and misleading information. Under Section 28.1 of the Act, this carries a penalty of fine of up to Rs 50,000 and a jail term of up to two years. Shockingly my request was turned down, and I was told that the commission could not disbelieve government information given on an official letterhead and that I was free to go to court.

Mrs Abida Rahman

Abbottabad

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2015

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