Such laws can bring true change within the existing bureaucratic system and the upcoming local bodies
ISLAMABAD: The right to information has been accepted as a fundamental human right by the United Nations. In the recent past, Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have enacted legislations to give the public easy access to government-held information and records. In many other countries, similar laws have resulted in greater transparency, efficiency as well as eradication of the evils of corruption and nepotism. In other words, the citizen’s right to information results in good governance.
This constitutional right of the citizens to access information has been elaborated upon and made more effective by the superior judiciary of Pakistan. The various laws enacted in this regard are important. These laws can bring true change within the existing bureaucratic system and the upcoming local bodies. If used with discretion, these may prove to be a game changer for the middle class. But there is still a lot to be done to increase public awareness about the right to information. The media needs to inform and educate the people so that this right is fully utilised.
Shahrukh Shabbir
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2015.
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