Islamabad:
The free and fair electoral network (FAFEN) has called on the government to undertake full legal reforms to strengthen the implementation of the 2017 law on the implementation of the right of access to information.
In a political memory entitled “ Strengthening the right to information (RTI) in Pakistan ”, published on Sunday, Fafen stressed that if the RTI frame of Pakistan is among the most progressive, its effectiveness has been hampered by inertia institutional, the ambiguous legal provisions.
Gaps have prevented the law from achieving its planned objective of ensuring the transparency of the government.
The lack of timely information on the actions, decisions and expenses of public organizations reproduce disinformation and disinformation.
“Fafen firmly believes that the strengthening of the legal framework RTI will serve as a rampart in government efforts to counter disinformation, which deepens political polarization in the country,” said Fafen.
As part of his current campaign “counter-a disinformation by information”, Fafen has already carried out an assessment of the websites of federal ministries and divisions, and has noted a low level of compliance with the provisions of the RTI 2017 law.
Similar assessments are underway for provincial services.
Fafen has declared that the greatest independence and the powers of the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) will allow it to effectively apply the provisions of the law on public organizations, which is essential to improve the transparency of the government and counter disinformation.
In his political memory, Fafen urged Parliament to further strengthen the legal framework of the RTI by eliminating ambiguities and empowering the photo to direct application efforts rather than simply serving as a call forum.
The proposed modifications include the specification of clear deadlines for proactive disclosure and the digitization of files, the expansion of the scope of public archives, reform of the appointment process and the deletion of information commissioners and to organize organizations audiences to subject compliance reports on the requirements of the PIC Act.
Fafen recommends a more advisory approach to the appointment and abolition of information commissioners through a bipartite parliamentary committee with an equal representation of the Treasury and the Opposition.
The transfer of these responsibilities far from the control of managers and the guarantee of the commission’s financial independence by changes to article 21 would allow it to operate as a more efficient surveillance organization.
The Fafen policy file also underlined the need for public organizations to go beyond the simple publication of online online data.
Instead, he recommended that the PIC establishes standardized and user -friendly formats and user -friendly practices, including consultable databases, clear summaries and intuitive indexes to improve accessibility.
