ABBOTTABAD: The University of Haripur has been served two show cause notices by the Right to Information (RTI) Commission for failing to provide documents and information to the applicants under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa RTI Act 2013 after a lapse of over 170 days.

The RTI Commission has asked the principal information officer of the university to appear before the commission within 14 days, sources said.

These show-cause notices were issued to the assistant registrar of the university of Haripur on Dec 15, 2015 on the requests of Khuram Mehtab and Riaz Mohammad over inability of the university’s administration to produce the relevant documents.

Before issuing the notices the commission gave ample time to the university administration by sending memos dated Aug 10, Sept 7 and Oct 20 and summons dated Oct 21 and Nov 26, 2015.

The show cause notices signed by the chief information commissioner and both the information commissioners, copies available with this correspondent, stated that “Why a fine of Rs25,000 should not be imposed on you under Section 26 (3) b of the RTI Act 2013”. The commission has also directed the PIO to appear within 14 days failing which it shall be presumed that he had no cause to show.

The sources said that the university had failed to give the required information about the selection boards held on May 22 and June 11 and August 28-30, 2015 as well as the syndicate meetings held on June 17 and Aug 31, 2015.

The applicants had sought information about the merit lists, documents of the applicants, the selection and merit criteria as well as marks of each candidate.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2015