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(Almost) within reach: Ushering in freedom of information in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
PESHAWAR: A new era promising residents of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) freedom of information is now just a matter of days away, The Express Tribune learnt on Thursday.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government is all set to implement what is to be called the ‘Access to Information Act’ in the province, according to sources at the Civil Secretariat Peshawar.
“After its implementation, the Access to Information Act is supposed to bring about an age where there is a flow of information to the general public. Giving access to those who seek to evaluate any government department’s activities and its performance,” explained an official.
“It can do the public good by promoting citizens’ trust in state functionaries.”
A day earlier, K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said his government had approved the Access to Information bill. This piece of legislation will lead to corruption-free and transparent governance in the province, added Khattak.
Devolution
After the 18th Constitutional Amendment was passed in April 2010, freedom of information became a provincial subject. However, it has taken K-P more than three years to pass the bill with the previous government led by the Awami National Party (ANP) unsuccessful in implementing the act during its tenure.
Before the last assembly session in March, former information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain had stated they had good intentions regarding the right to information. However, he added, the K-P government was mindful of how other provinces acted in this regard and was waiting on the centre to take the first steps.
Official sources had confirmed the rough draft on a right to information policy was still in the bureaucracy’s hold when the ANP-led government was completing its tenure.The current provincial government responded quickly and set a July 15 deadline to implement the Access to Information bill and approved the measure in the first formal cabinet meeting which took place on July 9.
From bill to act.A meeting was held a day earlier at the Civil Secretariat Peshawar between officials from the secretariat and the K-P information department to finalise the bill.
The bill has been vetted and is ready to be sent to the governor for approval at the earliest to implement it as an ordinance, added an official at the law department. This will allow the government to stick by its July 15 deadline.
After the governor’s approval, the bill will be presented at the next K-P Assembly session where, if passed, it will become an act within a time period stipulated by the constitution, explained the official.
Sharing the broad contours of the bill, the law department official said a chief information officer would head the operation as per the Access to Information bill. Every government department will have an information officer who will be the public’s point of contact for accessing information.
“Every government department under the bill needs to have a website and is bound to update it on a daily basis.”
Even though every government department has a website at the moment, not all are regularly updated.
“The information sought by a person has to be provided within a week,” informed the official.
Once passed, the Access to Information Act will make it binding on relevant officials to provide information within the given timeframe. The official did not share the list of excluded/exception information, if any, which cannot be accessed through the act.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 12th, 2013.
@hasnain0099 @truthseer What Punjab and sindh government has done in this regard?. Hasnain sahab, Why didn't shahbaz sharif implemented freedom if information act in his last tenure?
This is about disseminating information about the government functions. My first impression was that KP government would make legislation about declassifying information and making all information public.“Every government department under the bill needs to have a website and is bound to update it on a daily basis.”
Even though every government department has a website at the moment, not all are regularly updated.“The information sought by a person has to be provided within a week,” informed the official.
This is about disseminating information about the government functions. My first impression was that KP government would make legislation about declassifying information and making all information public.
As far as Goverment of Punjab is concerned, a list of provincial departments websites can be had at
Provincial Departments | Punjab Portal
The company is keen on investing in 1000MW energy generation.
^^ the problem is that the energy is first sold to the central authority and is then distributed back to the province. and i dont know if provinces have the legal right to demand as much energy as they generate. unless there is some other framework which i am unaware of?
The royalty part comes into play here. For example if KPK is generating 3500MW of electricity, it must be given it's royalty part of 51% of the total production of electricity i.e 1785MW . This is something KPK govt. has taken up with centre in Supreme Court - to demand their royalty over electricity generation. The case I think has already been filed.
so out of the 1000 MW, KPK will only be able to claim 500? what about those small 50MW projects which the provincial govts can execute on its own? such power generation goes directly to the province or this has to be routed through the same channel?