ISLAMABAD: The Senate amended the Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953, on Monday empowering the Air Force to reopen cases against its retired officers with retrospective effect.

The amendment bill moved by Law Minister Zahid Hamid on behalf of the defence minister was passed with a majority vote of 18:14 as the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf joined hands. The Pakistan Peoples Party and Awami National Party voted against the bill while senators from Fata did not take part in voting.

Apprehending that the backdated legislation might target some former PAF officers, Farhatullah Babar of the PPP asked the government to explain the rationale behind the legislation.

He said no one was against trial of corrupt retired PAF officers under the Air Force Act, but it was well known that the Army and Navy tried retired officers under their respective laws and did not send their cases to NAB or any other civilian agency.

Right of access to information bill lands in Senate

If the PAF also wished to do the same there was no quarrel but “for God’s sake do so from today and not retrospectively”, he said.

Senator Babar had submitted a dissenting note when the draft Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953, was approved by the defence committee of the Senate a few weeks ago.

He said the backdated legislations were also disapproved by the Supreme Court.

Justification advanced in the name of secrecy and sensitivity was spurious as provisions existed for addressing issues in sensitivity in trial courts also, he added.

Mr Babar said that lately the security establishment had exposed itself to have scant regard for the courts, parliament and everything civilian.

He said whether it was the backdated amendment recently in the National Command Authority Act, or refusal to answer parliamentary questions about post-retirement perks and privileges of senior officers or the present bill the story was the same. “I beseech the security establishment to please look inwardly and ask itself whether it is right,” he added.

A much-awaited piece of proposed legislation meant to give the fundamental right to the citizens to have access to all information held by public bodies subject to ‘reasonable restrictions’ finally landed in the Senate on Monday.

The bill titled ‘Right of access to information’ introduced in the house by Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb will bind all public bodies of the federal government to respond to all requests seeking information as soon as possible but not later than 10 working days. The period may be extended by maximum of another 10 working days when the request requires a search through a large number of records located at different locations or consultation is required with third parties and other public bodies.

The information provided under the law will be accompanied by a certificate that the information is correct and will be dated and signed by a designated official.

EXCLUSIONS: The information may be exempt if its disclosure is likely to result in commission of an offence, harm the detection, prevention, investigation or inquiry in a particular case, reveal the identity of a confidential source of information or facilitate escape from legal custody.

Another exclusion is the information, disclosure of which may cause damage to the economy, as a result of premature disclosure of a proposed introduction, abolition or variation of any tax, duty, interest rate, exchange rate or any other instrument of economic management or has the potential to cause damage to the lawful commercial activities of a public body.

The information will also be exempt if its disclosure is likely to cause serious prejudice to the defence or security of Pakistan, the capability, effectiveness of armed forces or other law enforcement agencies or has the potential to endanger life, liberty, health or safety of any individual.

It will be also exempt from disclosure if it is likely to cause prejudice to the effective formulation or development of a government policy, frustrate the success of a policy, by premature disclosure.

Both houses of parliament adopted resolutions to condemn the recent attack on Deputy Chairman of Senate Abdul Ghafoor Haidri in Mastung.

The Senate was prorogued sine die.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2017