Govt unable to fulfill most recent promise for tabling of RTI Bill

ISLAMABAD: PILDAT's Monthly Monitor on Knowing Your Right to Information for the Month of December, 2015 notes that the most recent promise made by the Federal government for tabling of the RTI Bill has remained unfulfilled. This follows other unmet promises made by senior Government representatives, such as Mr. Pervaiz Rashid, Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage. The Monitor also comments on the impact of the online disclosure of MNA attendance records on the overall rate of attendance in the National Assembly.

In spite of the expectations of civil society, attendance in the 24th, 25th and 26th Sessions of the National Assembly does not yet show signs of trending positively. The Sindh Government's failure to implement its existing Freedom of Information Act or make public a copy of its vaunted new RTI Bill is also covered in this month's issue of the Monitor. Also covered in this month's Monitor is the Punjab Governor House's failure to comply with the Punjab Information Commission's order for disclosure of its annual expenditure records. Finally, in KP, the Monitor notes with concern the lack of a mechanism for collecting fines from offenders under the RTI Act, which has significantly hampered enforcement of the law in the Province? The complete text of PILDAT's Monitor on Knowing Your Right to Information for December 2015 can be accessed by clicking here.