Sunshine Law shines over LHC
There are many in Pakistan who are taking a much higher salary but delivering nothing
LAHORE:
In response to a request by an applicant, and subsequent to Punjab Information Commission’s order, the Lahore High Court has opened up to transparency by appointing the deputy registrar of LHC as the Public Information Officer and disclosing the salary and the emoluments of CJ, LHC. By being the first court in Pakistan to appoint a PIO, LHC has taken the lead in acknowledging the domain of the Right to Information law and the ultimate supremacy of any law over institutions, for which full credit needs to be given to the LHC CJ.
TheLHC CJ should be commended for these bold steps. Let’s see how many other courts follow suit. There are many in Pakistan who are taking a much higher salary but delivering nothing. Credit must be given where credit is due. Kudos to the applicant as being the initiator, to the members of the Punjab Information Commission as the enforcers, and finally to the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court as the implementer. Bravo to all for recognising citizen empowerment.
Dr Raza Gardezi
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2017.
In response to a request by an applicant, and subsequent to Punjab Information Commission’s order, the Lahore High Court has opened up to transparency by appointing the deputy registrar of LHC as the Public Information Officer and disclosing the salary and the emoluments of CJ, LHC. By being the first court in Pakistan to appoint a PIO, LHC has taken the lead in acknowledging the domain of the Right to Information law and the ultimate supremacy of any law over institutions, for which full credit needs to be given to the LHC CJ.
TheLHC CJ should be commended for these bold steps. Let’s see how many other courts follow suit. There are many in Pakistan who are taking a much higher salary but delivering nothing. Credit must be given where credit is due. Kudos to the applicant as being the initiator, to the members of the Punjab Information Commission as the enforcers, and finally to the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court as the implementer. Bravo to all for recognising citizen empowerment.
Dr Raza Gardezi
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2017.