Unanimity: Senate likely to pass information bill

Will be tabled in the coming session of the Upper House.

ISLAMABAD: The Senate will take up the Access to Information Bill, 2013, and likely pass it in the coming session with majority. The draft bill was unanimously passed by the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting early this month.

“Yes, the bill has been included in the house agenda and will be tabled by its chairman probably on the first day of the coming session,” said a senior official of Senate secretariat on Sunday.

Committee chairman Senator Kamil Ali Agha will table the bill. “We will definitely bring the draft bill in the House and hopefully it will be passed with majority,” said Agha speaking to The Express Tribune. “It is a landmark legislation, which will facilitate the media and other people who seek information from any organisation or department.”

The draft law gives public access to information regarding transactions about acquisition and disposal of property, expenditures of all kinds, grants of licenses, approvals, allotments and contracts awarded by a public body.

However, information of some ministries and government departments including financial institutions would remain classified.

Façade of national security

According to the proposed legislation, there is no blanket immunity to the ministry of defence and defence services which was used in the past to keep everything under wraps behind the façade of national security. The exemption is now limited only to defence planning, deployment of forces, defence installations and matters that can legitimately be related to national security.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2013.