IN an unwise move, the KhyberPakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly amended its Right to Information (RTI) Act 2013 by passing two bills. One exempts the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from the ambit of the RTI Act and the other gives the government the right to appeal against a decision of the RTI Commission in the court of a district and sessions judge.
With one stroke of the pen, the KP Assembly has done away with the spirit of the RTI Act and taken away a fundamental right of citizens that is guaranteed by Article 19A of the Constitution. No citizen can now seek information on the performance, expenses or even attendance of those who sit in the Assembly and are paid out of taxpayers` money.
The amendment in the RTI essentially makes the Information Commission a redundant set-up. The government can now refuse to give any information that it does not wish to part with. If the af fected citizen takes the matter to the Information Commission and receives a favourable decision, the government can simply appeal to the court of a district and sessions judge for redressal.
What made KP Assembly come to such an atrocious conclusion? This action proves the elected members no longer feel the need to be accountable to those who elect them. Yet more importantly, the retrogressive step also confirms that the projects funded, planned and executed by foreign donors under fancy titles are more likely to be an eyewash and a publicity gimmick.
Can the PTI chief intervene and use his influence to undo the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly`s excess? N. S.
