ISLAMABAD: The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) and the Pakistan Information Commission held a one-day training session for Public Information Officers (PIOs) to help them understand their roles and responsibilities under the RAI Act, 2017.
The act guarantees citizens’ right to access government-held information, with officials as custodians. Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, Chief Information Commissioner of the Pakistan Information Commission, kicked off the session, pledging to uphold the Federal RTI law.
He emphasized the crucial role of designated officials as the primary source of information for citizens, underscoring the necessity of enhancing their capacity.
Mukhtar Ahmad Ali, CPDI’s Executive Director and former Information Commissioner at Punjab Information Commission, emphasized the importance of RTI as a fundamental human right.
He highlighted its historical significance and international recognition, mentioning key documents like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Righ
ts, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Open Government Partnership, Sustainable Development Goals, and the Constitution of Pakistan.
Highlighting Pakistan’s legislative environment, he pointed out the lack of robust RTI laws in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, while underscoring the key aspects of the Federal RTI Act. Additionally, the importance of information in addressing service delivery challenges was thoroughly examined.
Muhammad Azam, Former Chief Information Commissioner of the Pakistan Information Commission, conducted an extensive session on the importance of proactive disclosure according to the act.
He provided a detailed explanation of Section 5 of the act, encouraging PIOs to proactively share information through websites to streamline procedures, decrease workload, and enhance public service.
He shared that out of 40 ministries and departments, only 15% have uploaded 50% of the required information on their websites. Meanwhile, Zahid Abdullah, former Information Comm
issioner, and rights activist, emphasized the crucial aspect of information accessibility and highlighted the challenges faced by the blind individuals in exercising their right of access to information.
He also raised demand that the websites of the government departments should be accessible for the person with disabilities.
Representatives from 32 Federal Government departments and Ministries were enthusiastically engaged in the training, committing to facilitate the information disclosures in their capacities through the implementation of RAI Act, 2017.
Expert sessions, led by former and current information commissioners, covered the powers and functions of the commission, filing procedures for information requests, and common pitfalls that may hinder timely responses to the citizens.
Participants at the end believed that transitioning from the culture of secrecy to transparency is imperative for better governance and transparency leading to a vibrant and democratic Pakistan.