KARACHI: The Right to Information (RTI) bill has been finalised by the senate committee on information. It will be tabled in parliament as a government bill after getting approval of the federal cabinet at its next meeting.

This was stated by Senator Farhatullah Babar, who is also convener of the Senate’s subcommittee on the RTI, at a national seminar on Citizens’ Right to Information and Social Accountability organised by the Sindh Madresssatul Islam University (SMIU) here on Monday.

Senator Babar said the underlying principles of the RTI bill included ensuring the maximum disclosure, end of covering up information in the name of national security, minimum exemptions, the right to appeal to the information commission, provision of whistleblowing and imprisonment for the willful destruction of records to prevent disclosure.

In addition to the federal government departments and autonomous bodies, it also covers non-governmental organisations, parliament and courts. “Public record now includes information about transactions, acquisition and disposal of property, grant of licences, allotments and contracts awarded by a public body to name a few,” he said.

The definition of ‘record’ had been widened to include notes in the files and minutes of meetings. The senator said the concept of blanket immunity in the name of national security had been done away with and exemptions were limited only to defence planning, deployment of forces and defence installations.

Furthermore, exemptions requested will have to be accompanied with detailed explanations.

The bill also allows the information commission, comprising retired judges and respectable individuals from all walks of life, including retired bureaucrats, outstanding lawyers, eminent media persons and people from the academia and professionls, to review appeals. However, Senator Babar said the real issue was not drafting a law but ending the culture of secrecy. “We keep things under the wraps in the name of national security,” he said, adding that questions asked about the number of cases pending in some high courts were not answered on the ground that it impinged on the independence of the judiciary.

It was hoped that the enactment of the RTI legislation would help the academia, citizens and civil society to wage a collective struggle against the prevailing culture of secrecy and sacred cows. “It will be a worthwhile fight against the mindset,” he said.

SMIU VC Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh, former Supreme Court judge Justice Deedar Hussain Shah and former high court judge Justice Majida Rizvi also spoke.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2014