Islamabad High Court stays PIC decision on information about Presidency staff

A single bench, comprising CJ Athar Minallah, on the request of the federation, issued stay order on the PIC decision

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday suspended the decision of the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) to provide information about the employees of the Presidency to a citizen.

A single bench, comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah, on the request of the federation, issued the stay order on the PIC decision and issued notices to the parties.

Chief of Information Commission Muhammad Azam and information commissioners Fawad Malik and Zahid Abdullah had issued orders on March 11, 2020. The PIC had directed the Presidency to provide information of all its employees under the Access to Information Act.

The federal appeal contended that the information commission in its order misinterpreted the Articles 90 and 99 of the Constitution relating to the Rules of Business. It said the Presidency was not a public body therefore, the Access to Information Act did not apply.

A citizen Mukhtar Ahmad Ali had filed a petition with the Presidency on April 10, 2019 under the Access to Information Act. A request was made to the principal secretary to the president to provide information regarding the employees of the Presidency.

However, on not receiving the information, the citizen filed a petition in the PIC, which decided that under the Access to Information Act, the Presidency should provide information on the number and salary of all employees, including women, special persons and transgender employees.