Disclosing assets of top NAB bosses 'against public interest', rules PIC

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) on Tuesday ruled that issuing the details of assets and properties owned by the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) top bosses and their families was "against the public interest".

A three-member committee of the PIC, which reviews Right To Information (RTI) requests, announced its decision in response to a request filed some time ago by a Pakistani citizen named Rana Asadullah Khan under the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017.

The request had sought the details of the assets and properties owned by NAB Chairperson Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, as well as the anti-graft watchdog's other top officials, including the deputy chairperson, director-general, assistant director, and regional directors-general, before they joined NAB and at present.

However, the matter was taken up by the PIC as NAB chose not to respond to Khan's request and the petitioner appealed to the independent body.

In its decision, the PIC said the disclosure of  assets owned by NAB's officers and their families "could harm their privacy" and that the disclosure of such private information "was not in the public interest".

However, the PIC directed the anti-corruption body to publish on its website investigative reports against its officers since the time it was set up.

The decision was penned by Information Commissioner Zahid Abdullah and signed by both PIC Chief Information Commissioner Mohammad Azam and Information Commissioner Fawad Malik.