Awareness session: RTI Commission suggests including law into curriculum

Urges people to use law to eliminate culture of secrecy.

PESHAWAR:

The K-P Right to Information Act 2013 should be incorporated into the curriculum at intermediate or university levels, said Principal of Khyber Law College at University of Peshawar, Professor Fayazur Rehman.

Rehman was speaking at an awareness seminar arranged by Right to Information (RTI) Commission at Khyber Law College, University of Peshawar on Wednesday. The seminar was attended by RTI Chief Information Commissioner Sahibzada Muhammad Khalid along with commissioners Professor Kalimullah and Abdul Matin. Faculty members and students also participated in the event.



“Promulgation of the RTI law in the province is a step in the right direction,” said Rehman.

Speaking on the occasion, RTI Commissioner Professor Kalimullah lauded the RTI law as a “landmark legislation”.

“People of K-P are privileged to have the RTI law and it is now their duty to take advantage of it to ensure transparency and merit-based decision-making in public offices,” he said. Kalimullah urged participants to use the law to break the culture of secrecy.

RTI Commissioner Abdul Matin briefed participants about the significance of the law in eradicating corruption and malpractice in public offices. According to Matin, the RTI legislation also provides protection to government servants who wish to expose corrupt practices by sharing information with the commission or applicants.

The RTI law has empowered the public as no government official is authorised to ask why information is needed, he said. “Every citizen of this country, regardless of social status, has the right to know about the affairs of public offices and where public funds are being used.”

According to the RTI commissioner, K-P’s RTI law overrides all provincial laws that protect official secrecy and create hurdles for the general public to obtain information from government departments.

Matin said the law also ensures that government departments prepare annual reports and provide updated information through their official websites.

Last week, the RTI Commission organised an awareness session at Edwardes College Peshawar to emphasise the importance of the law as a tool for social change. Students were urged to use the RTI Act, 2013 to ensure social wellbeing and prevent corruption and nepotism.

K-P became the first province to have implemented the RTI as a law in December 2013. The RTI Act was signed in December 2013. The bill was unanimously passed by the K-P Assembly on October 31, 2013.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2014.