Panama leaks episode highlights the need for enactment of federal right to information law
By.Asghar Ali Mubarak
Islamabad: The successive democratic governments have made tall claims about the transparent functioning of government departments but none has enacted to ensure right to information law so that journalists and citizens could determine the transparent functioning of government departments. The only right to information law came into being in the shape of Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002 promulgated by General Pervez Musharraf to fulfill conditionality attached with Asian Development Bank loan. Both PML (N) and PPP committed in the Charter of Democracy to repeal this highly ineffective law and enact a new one. Whereas PPP failed to legislate on right to information in its tenure from 2008 to 2013, PMLN is dilly-dallying on this issue on one pretext or the other.
In the wake of Panama Leaks, rumors mills are in full swing and have started churning out rumors’ about the very future of democracy in the country. In such a scenario, it is all the more important to strengthen democratic institutions in the country. Information is considered to be life blood of, and oxygen for democracy. Moreover, right to information legislation is regarded as an effective anti-corruption tool and over 106 countries have enacted right to information laws to facilitate access to information held by public bodies. At a time when questions are being raised about mega projects carried out in the past and when mega projects are going to be set-up in the country under CPEC, Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives, (CPDI) believes federal government should enact right to information law without further delay. Once right to information law is enacted, only then journalists and citizens will be able to get certified information of their choosing about different projects and initiatives being taken by the federal government. CPDI urges federal government to table in the parliament federal right to information bill approved by the Senate Committee on Information and Broadcasting.
About CPDI: Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) is an independent, non-partisan and a not-for-profit registered civil society organization working on the issues of Development and Peace in Pakistan.
