ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) has directed the National Assembly secretariat to disclose records relating to lawyers hired by the Secretariat, payments made to them, and details of court cases after allowing an appeal filed under the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017.

The order, issued on July 16, was passed in an appeal filed by journalist Saddia Mazhar against the National Assembly of Pakistan.

According to the order, applicant had sought five categories of information through an information request submitted on April 17, 2026. The requested information included a year-wise list of lawyers, advocates, law firms and legal consultants engaged by the National Assembly Secretariat from January 2022 to date, along with a year-wise breakdown of payments made to each of them.

The request also sought the total number of cases filed by the National Assembly Secretariat before various courts since January 2022, including the case numbers, case titles and the names of the respective courts.

In addition, the applicant requested details of payments made to lawyers engaged by the Secretariat for filing some of the Writ Petitions before the Islamabad High Court. During the proceedings, the National Assembly Secretariat argued that the requested information was privileged under the Speaker’s Ruling dated October 4, 2024, and was also protected as privileged communication under the Qanoon-i-Shahadat Order, 1984.

After examining the information request, the Secretariat’s written response and the relevant provisions of law, the Commission rejected the public body’s arguments. It held that the information sought constituted public record and was not exempted from disclosure under any provision of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017.

The Commission further observed that the Speaker’s ruling did not classify information relating to payments made to lawyers as privileged. It also ruled that the provisions of the Qanoon-i-Shahadat Order, 1984, were not applicable to the case.

Referring to the objectives of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, the Commission noted that the law aimed to promote transparency, accountability, public participation, good governance and greater public access to records held by public authorities. Allowing the appeal, the Pakistan Information Commission has directed the Secretary, National Assembly Secretariat, to provide the requested information to the applicant as well as the Commission within 10 days.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2026