President, PM stress access to information

Zardari, Shehbaz call for transparency, fact-checking

ISLAMABAD:

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to ensuring citizens' right to access accurate, timely and reliable information, while highlighting growing challenges posed by misinformation and emerging technologies.

In separate messages on the International Day for Universal Access to Information, being observed on September 28 (today), President Zardari said citizens could participate meaningfully in public life only when they had access to credible and reliable information.

He said the Constitution provided a clear foundation for this right, with the 18th Constitutional Amendment strengthening the framework for freedom of expression and inserting Article 19-A, which gave every citizen the right to access information on matters of public importance, subject to reasonable restrictions.

Zardari said the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017 further provided a legal framework for access to information at the federal level. He noted that the rapid growth of digital platforms, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies had changed how information was produced, distributed and consumed.

"The challenge is no longer only whether information is available. It is also whether citizens can distinguish reliable information from content that is false, manipulated or deliberately designed to mislead," the president emphasised.

He said information could be distorted or weaponised by state and non-state actors, terrorist and criminal networks, as well as powerful technology companies, making access to accurate and credible information increasingly important for an informed democracy.

He called for greater attention to the role of journalists, media organisations, communication professionals, researchers and other experts in helping citizens navigate the changing information environment.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said the government was committed to providing accurate and authentic information, promoting transparency and safeguarding citizens' right to access information. He said the government was taking measures to strengthen communication between public institutions and citizens by harnessing modern technologies and digital platforms.

Shehbaz said the rapid spread of unverified, misleading and false information had emerged as a serious challenge, with information disorder capable of creating uncertainty and eroding public trust in institutions and information sources.

He stressed that timely dissemination of authentic information, greater transparency, rigorous fact-checking and responsible communication could help counter information disorder. He said that the process of digitising records of government offices and institutions was under way to preserve them and facilitate public access.

Shehbaz expressed confidence that the government, media, civil society, educational institutions, technology experts and citizens would work together to safeguard information integrity and build an informed, responsible and transparent society.