Punjab to enact right to information act soon

Provincial minister says law would protect the rights of the common man and the media

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Minister Punjab Information and Culture Fayyazul Hassan Chohan on Saturday said that law on Right to Information would be enacted soon.

"We are in the process of legislating on Right to Information Act offering a comprehensive policy for protecting the rights of the common man besides media personnel," Chohan said while speaking to the media.



He pointed out that the new law would be comparatively better than that which was implemented in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa by the previous provincial government of Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf (PTI).

He said a cultural programme under the title of ‘Voice of Punjab’ would soon be organised with the help of the cultural wing of PTI. The music programmes would be held in four cities of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan where amateur singers would be invited to participate.

He said during this talent hunt programmes , talented singers would be selected for their onward participation in the grand finale to be held at Lahore.

The top achievers of the grand finale would be promoted and patronised at provincial and national levels, he said.

The provincial information minister said that his ministry had already formulated media advertisement policy which would soon be presented before the chief minister for implementation. The new policy has been formulated on the spirit of unbiased and transparent approach, he added.

In the meantime, he pointed out that about 770 newspapers and periodicals lacking genuineness have been delisted from the provincial information department's official listing.



Furthermore, he added that keeping in line with the spirit of patriotism and volunteerism, he apprised that Alhamra Arts Lahore would soon produce a drama on the life of Sepoy Maqbool Husain. After completion of the making of the drama, he said it would be presented at various arts councils throughout the province.

The cultural wing of Punjab, on Nov. 09 the birth Anniversary of National Poet and Thinker Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal would organise comprehensive programme highlighting various aspects of his life, poetry, thoughts and achievements.

Responding to a query he said that a number steps for the welfare of the journalist community were in hand and would soon be formally announced.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2018.