Public concerns: ‘RTI law futile in absence of basic structure’

Experts at seminar express concern over exceptions clause in the law.

LAHORE:

Participants of a policy dialogue on Monday expressed concern that although the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013 was enacted in December last, public information officers had still not been appointed.

“Information officers were to be appointed within 60 days of the enactment of the act,” said Beaconhouse National University (BNU) assistant professor at the School of Media and Communication Wajahat Masood.

He was addressing an RTI Baithak organised by the BNU at the Lahore College for Women University.

Masood said basic decisions regarding recruitment of these officers had still not been made. “It is a people-friendly law and should be explored in terms of how it empowers people,” he said.  Masood said it was important to know how this law could be used.

Entrepreneur Irum Bokhari said government departments rarely updated their websites.

Social development researcher Dr Rubina Saigol said it was disturbing how many people would not benefit from the law. Punjab Assembly member Hina Pervaiz Butt said the government should be praised for enacting the law.

BNU School of Education Dean Tariq Rahman said female information officers should be used for the RTI system to ensure women easy access to information. “When laws are not people-friendly, how can we establish a sense of trust with new legislations?” argued human rights activist Faryal Gauhar.  “We have a law that hasn’t been allowed implementation by the very people who call themselves the custodians of the law.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2014.