FAFEN urges Sindh to reform RTI law

The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has called for legal and institutional reforms to address structural and implementation gaps in the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act (STRIA), 2016.

In a policy brief titled "Closing the Information Gap: The Case for Reforming the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2016", Fafen urged the Sindh Assembly, the Sindh Information Commission, and the provincial government to work together to transform the law's promise of transparency into effective practice.

The policy brief is part of Fafen's "Countering Disinformation through Reliable Government Information" campaign. As Pakistan continues to face the rapid spread of misinformation, which fuels political polarisation, the network noted that strengthening RTI frameworks remains essential for restoring public trust and ensuring equitable access to verified information.

Despite being grounded in constitutional guarantees under Article 19A, the STRIA's implementation remains weak. Fafen's 2025 assessment of 61 public bodies in Sindh found that, on average, public bodies comply with only 54% of the law's proactive disclosure requirements.

The policy brief identified structural and operational weaknesses that contribute to this compliance gap.

These include vague definitions that allow arbitrary interpretation of legal obligations, the absence of mandatory compliance reporting by public bodies, and limited digitalisation of RTI processes, including complaint handling and request tracking.

Further, the act does not prescribe standardised formats for information management and disclosure, resulting in inconsistent and often unusable information across public bodies.

Additionally, insufficient safeguards for the independence and financial autonomy of the Sindh Information Commission, along with the absence of strategic planning requirements, constrain its effectiveness as an oversight body.

To address these gaps, Fafen recommended targeted amendments to STRIA, including clarifying key definitions to expand the law's scope, mandating annual compliance reporting by public bodies, and introducing whistleblower protections to strengthen internal accountability.

The brief also called for reforms to ensure a transparent and consultative process for appointing information commissioners, enhanced financial autonomy through a dedicated fund, and stronger legal powers for the commission to conduct inspections and issue binding directives.

Emphasising the role of technology, Fafen recommended introducing digital systems for submission and tracking of RTI requests and complaints, along with automated applicant notifications.

It also proposed developing standardised disclosure formats tailored to different categories of public bodies to improve the consistency, usability, and comparability of information.