KARACHI: Speakers at a conference demanded implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) law in its true spirit and discussed achievements made and challenges confronted by the provincial information commissions.

The conference on challenges and way forward was organised by the Centre for Peace and Development Initiative (CPDI) in collaboration with Sindh Information Commission (SIC).

The speakers said people had right to information and they should practise it more often.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister Senator Waqar Mehdi stressed the need for reviving print media as it was one of the most credible sources of information.

He emphasised the need for imparting information about RTI and the information commissions to students in colleges and universities.

He said the linguistic issues in the Sindh RTI legislation would be taken by lawmakers with the law department and a meeting of RTI advocates would be arranged with the chief minister so that betterments could be made in RTI law.

CPDI executive director Mukhtar Ahmed Ali said the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) had been dysfunctional for last two months, despite the fact that civil society and former Chief Information Commissioner, PIC, had written letters to the federal information ministry to initiate the process of appointment of federal information commissioner.

Mr Ali added that the government criticised the Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf for not disclosing information about Toshakhana; however, despite the court order, the PML-N-led government itself was not willing to public this information.

Chief Information Commissioner of Punjab Information Commission Mehboob Qadir Shah said the Commission had passed more than 10,000 orders since its establishment and took measures to ensure the implementation of these orders.

He maintained that government departments created hurdles in providing information to citizens, but the commission was doing its best to ensure implementation of the right to information act.

Chief Information Commissioner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Informa­tion Commission (KPIC) Farah Hamid Khan said political will was mandatory for the implementation of the RTI law 2013, when the government was interested in the implementation of this law, the KPIC was considered as an ideal organisation.

She added more than 1,700 complaints were pending in KPIC due to vacant posts of information commissioner.

“More than 44,000 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have practised RTI law, 13,000 of which have received information directly from the government departments,” she said adding that in contrast, more than 10,000 citizens had filed complaints to KPIC.

Chief Information Commissioner of Sindh Information Commission (SIC) Nusrat Hussain said that despite limited resources, the commission’s website had been launched, and all necessary information would be made available on the website.

He informed that the Commission had, so far, received 150 complaints, of which 25 were resolved while the rest were under process at different stages.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2022