HYDERABAD: The Sindh Information Commission (SIC) has said that its recent visit to the Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS) was in connection with an order dated June 2 and the complaints pending before the commission for long.
However, LUMHS appeared not convinced by the commission’s assertion.
In response to a letter addressed to the provincial information secretary by the LUMHS administration, a spokesman for the SIC said on Monday that publication of the news regarding its visit to the university was aimed at informing the general public about activities of the commission. He said that the SIC, in the news, had praised the working of the LUMHS website. So, he said, the notion of harming the university did not arise.
He said the commission is a statutory body formed to ensure implementation of right of access to information guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution, and SIC is empowered under Section 13(4) of the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2016. He said that the visit was for the purpose of verification of records relating to proceedings as despite several reminders, the information was still awaited.
SIC member Noor Mohammad Dayo said that the commission is fully empowered to take notice of any application by any individual regardless of his locus standi if he / she raises a point of transparency relating to any public sector organisation. He said that 2016 Act overrides university’s rules, and that an identical plea was taken by the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) on the ground of its own set of rules.
He said that videography and photography was for the purpose of SIC’s own record and report which in no way harms the university.
A LUMHS spokesman, however, said on Monday that the university management had serious concern that a complaint was made by an individual only to obtain credentials and bio-data of three female students. He asserted that facilitating such demand of the complainant on an individual basis was against the law.
He said that SIC members were provided with all required documents smoothly and accordingly, but protection of privacy and dignity of concerned office / officers was not maintained as law prohibited any unauthorised capturing of video recording, photographs and transmission of the same on social and electronic media. This could adversely affect privacy, dignity and reputation of an individual / organisation for no reason, he said.
Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2026