Serious concerns over transparency in federal institutions surfaced in the Senate after it emerged that the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) had issued formal warnings to ministries for failing to comply with the Right of Access to Information (RTI) Act, 2017, with the possibility of penalties for non compliance.
The disclosure came during the Senate Question Answer session when Senator Rubina Qaim Khani asked the government what steps had been taken to enforce Section 5 of the RTI Act and which departments had faced penal action for failing to comply.
In his official reply, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar informed the Senate that the Pakistan Information Commission has taken active steps to enforce the law by issuing directives to principal officers of all federal public bodies. He stated that if ministries fail to comply with the proactive disclosure requirements under Section 5, the Commission can issue show-cause notices and impose penalties under Section 20 of the Act after providing an opportunity of hearing.
Documents shared during the session revealed that the PIC had formally written to several ministries warning them to comply with transparency obligations. In letters dated 15 January 2025, signed by Assistant Director of the Pakistan Information Commission, federal ministries were directed to ensure proactive disclosure of information on their official platforms.
Among the ministries that received these directives were the Ministry of Human Rights and the Ministry of Law and Justice. The commission instructed them to ensure that public bodies under their jurisdiction publish key information online and submit a compliance report by 14 February 2025, warning that legal action under the RTI Act could follow if the requirements were not met.
The PIC guidelines emphasized that under Section 5 of the RTI Act, every public body must publish a wide range of information within six months. This includes details about organizational functions, directories of officers and their salaries and benefits, rules and regulations, policy decisions, procedures for licenses and permits, budget details, and contact information of officials responsible for providing information. The guidelines also require publication of performance reports, audit reports, investigation findings, and other records considered necessary for public interest.
Following the warning letters, both ministries responded to the commission confirming compliance measures. The Ministry of Human Rights informed the PIC in a letter dated 4 February 2025 that it had circulated instructions to all Public Information Officers and affiliated departments to ensure strict adherence to the RTI law.
Similarly, the Ministry of Law and Justice responded on 14 February 2025 through an official memorandum stating that most relevant information had already been uploaded to its website and that records regarding RTI applications and appeals for the year 2024 had also been made publicly available.
