LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has refused to disclose its policy regarding privileges for judges and details of official vehicles used by them, citing immunity from right to information law.

Abdullah Malik, a lawyer and an activist, had approached the Punjab Information Commission (PIC), invoking the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013, seeking the policy on judges’ privileges and details of vehicles other than the official one, used by them.

The PIC forwarded the complaint to the LHC registrar, asking to furnish the details sought by the lawyer under the right to information law.

However, the LHC registrar, in a reply to the PIC, refused to disclose the information, declaring the request without substance. It said such requests are not maintainable in the light of a 2024 decision passed by the seven-member administration committee of the high court.

Cites immunity from right to information law

The registrar’s reply reproduced the decision, wherein the administration committee unanimously resolved that the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013 does not apply to the high court as the Supreme Court, in a 2024 judgement, held that the apex court is established under the Constitution, and not under the federal law, nor is the Supreme Court a public body of the federal government to which the Act does not apply.

Drawing the same analogy, the decision said, the high court is also established under the Constitution and thus is not a public body of the provincial government.

“Complaint filed by Abdullah Malik is without any substance and information sought by him cannot be provided to him in light of the decision of the honourable Administration Committee of this Court,” the registrar concluded.

Relying on the reply of the LHC registrar, the PIC also dismissed the complaint of the lawyer, saying, “This Commission being bound by decisions of the Lahore High Court in all matters, including those involving interpretation of law, is under an obligation to follow decisions announced by the said court.”

An order passed by the Chief Information Commissioner, Muhammad Malik Bhullah, said the complaint filed under the RTI Act 2013 runs contrary to the LHC administration committee’s decision and cannot proceed and, accordingly, is rejected.

In a statement, Abdullah Malik said Article 19-A of the Constitution guarantees access to information as a fundamental right and that the denial of such information is contrary to constitutional principles of transparency and accountability.

He said the PIC failed to apply its independent and objective mind to the matter and showed bias in favour of the public body instead of protecting the taxpayer’s right to information.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026