Skip to main content

Operationalisation of RTI laws still a far cry

Islamabad : The Coalition on Right to Information conferred RTI Champions Awards 2018 on Riaz Khan Daudzai and Zohaib Hassan in the Journalist and Citizen and Best Performing PIO categories respectively, at an award ceremony held here Friday.The ceremony coincided with an open discussion on International Right to Know Day, where senior government officials, present and former information commissioners, public information officers, investigative journalists, common citizens and CSOs brushed shoulders and and reflected on the significance of the day.Senator Ferhat Ullah Babar was the chief of the ceremony. Riaz Khan Daudzai, the winner in the Journalist category, had made effective use of existing national and sub-national RTI legislation in the country to do his investigative stories. His stories not only unearthed corrupt and unlawful practices, but also led to course correction in some cases. Zohaib Hassan, the winner in the Citizen category, being a person with disability, he has made excessive use of RTI laws for solving issues of PWDs and improving the quality of service delivery at the local level.Mukhtar Ahmed Ali, founding director CPDI and former Punjab Information Commissioner added that although government departments are striving hard for dissemination of information, there is still a need to change behaviours for the purpose.Two reports on the status of online proactive disclosure of information in provincial departments in Punjab and KP were also launched on the occasion. The studies analyze the compliance of proactive disclosure clause mentioned in KP RTI Act (sec 5) and Punjab T& RTI Act 2013 (sec 4) by the provincial departments. The reports show that as compared to Punjab, KP departments are leading in online proactive disclosure as per set criteria. KP RTI Commission scored highest with 95% of online proactive disclosure in KP. On the other hand, the Punjab Provincial Assembly comes at the top with 88% of online proactive disclosure in Punjab.Expressing views about the status of access to information in Pakistan, Amer Ejaz, Executive Director CPDI, opined that despite having effective RTI laws, implementation and operationalisation of these laws is still over-passed by government departments. The government has not fully accepted our right to know. After more than a year, RTI laws in Sindh and at the Federal level are still not operationalised. He demanded that appellate forums should be established at the earliest. The need of enacting effective RTI law in Balochistan was also highlighted.The event was jointly organised by CRTI, KP Information Commission and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

from The News International - Islamabad https://ift.tt/2Om6RVz
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sindh police chief takes notice over viral alleged aerial firing videos of DIG East’s son

Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon took notice after videos of aerial firing allegedly by the son of a high-ranking Karachi police official surfaced on Thursday. Videos shared on social media allegedly showed the son of Karachi East Deputy Inspector General of Police Azfar Mahesar firing a pistol and rifles into the air while travelling in a luxury car. In one such video, policemen were also purportedly visible. Footage of the alleged incidents went viral on social media. A statement issued today from the Sindh police said IGP Memon ordered an inquiry against the DIG East and directed Karachi’s additional IGP to carry out the investigation. The statement added that departmental action would be initiated upon the inquiry’s completion. It said the investigation would also probe whether the weapons used in the incident were officially issued or not. “No one will be allowed to spread fear and chaos like this,” IGP Memon vowed. Meanwhile, DIG Mahesar
Post a Comment
Read more

Casualties feared in Dir clashes between FC, intruding militants: reports

LOWER DIR: Casualties are feared on both sides as militants from Afghanistan reportedly attacked Frontier Corps (FC) personnel at multiple locations at the Pak-Afghan border in Maidan area of Lower Dir district on Saturday, as per unconfirmed reports. According to local residents and official sources, there were reports of militants’ infiltration from the Afghan side via the Shahi border area at Lamotai Top, Suripao and Safarai forest. However, the reports were yet to be confirmed by Inter Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing. On getting information about the alleged infiltration, troops of the paramilitary force, FC, led by Captain Yasin, Captain Asfandiar and Subedar Hamza, advanced to block the militants’ movement, as per reports. The militants allegedly attacked the troops, who also retaliated, thus prompting fears of casualties on both sides. The security forces surrounded alleged militants at three different locations. Later, gunship helicopters lau
Post a Comment
Read more

Family points finger at PPP MNA, two sons in journalist Nasrullah Gadani’s murder in Ghotki

SUKKUR: Slain journalist Nasrullah Gadani’s mother and two relatives have reiterated the allegation in statements recorded under Section 164 CrPC in a Mirpur Mathelo court that Pakistan Peoples Party’s MNA and his two sons had Nasrullah killed through their men. Ms Pathani Gadani, who was complainant in the case, and witnesses, Yaqoub Gadani and Salahuddin Gadani along with their counsel advocate Salahuddin Panhwar appeared before the second civil and first magistrate the other day and told him that PPP MNA Khalid Khan Loond, his sons, Shehbaz Loond, who was chairman of Mirpur Mathelo municipal committee, and Noor Mohammad Loond, had Nasrullah slain but the trio was so powerful that police had not dared include their names in the FIR. They appealed to the court to bring Nasrullah’s real killers to justice as per law and serve speedy justice to the bereaved family. Gadanis’ counsel Salahuddin Panhwar told media persons that the complainant and the witnesses had clearly stated t
Post a Comment
Read more