Transparency report finds RTI laws' implementation weak in Pakistan

• Assessment examined 98 ministries, govt departments websites.
• Punjab records highest overall compliance with 59%: report.
• Report recommends standardised formats for proactive disclosure.

ISLAMABAD: Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) has found weak implementation of right to information laws by federal and provincial government departments, with compliance for proactive disclosure ranging from just 28% in Balochistan to 59% in Punjab.

The assessment, released ahead of Universal Access to Information Day on September 28, examined the websites of 98 key ministries and government departments to determine their compliance with proactive disclosure requirements under the federal Right of Access to Information Act, 2017 and corresponding provincial laws.

According to the report, Punjab recorded the highest overall compliance, at 59% across 18 departments, followed by the federal government with 47% across 14 ministries. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 41% across 22 departments, while Sindh stood at31 % across 25 departments. Balochistan had the lowest compliance, at 28% across 19 departments.

The assessment identified budget and expenditure information as one of the weakest areas of disclosure across all jurisdictions, raising concerns about the availability of basic financial information on government websites.

The availability of information about Public Information Officers (PIOs) was also found to be poor in several jurisdictions. Such information is particularly important because PIOs provide the institutional channel through which citizens can seek information when it has not been proactively disclosed.

According to the assessment, publication of PIO contact details scored only 12% in Balochistan, 14% in Sindh, 36% at the federal level and 45% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Punjab performed comparatively better in this category, recording 72%.

The report recommends that Information Commissions introduce standardised formats for proactive disclosure, while government departments should strengthen training of Public Information Officers and improve publication of budget and expenditure details.

It also calls for mandatory publication of PIO contact details, disclosure of decision-making processes and opportunities for public consultation and the introduction of minimum website standards, including a dedicated RTI section on every government department’s website.

Originally published in The News