When the PML-N was campaigning for elections 2013, it promised that the constitutional right of the people of Pakistan to have access to information will be provided. The party’s manifesto said: right to information law based on international best practices shall be passed to give every citizen the right to know and to build institutional mechanism to increase access to information. The government’s Vision 2025 also promises an open government.
Yet to this date, that promise remains unfulfilled, despite the fact that a draft federal Right to Information (RTI) law has been catching dust for more than a year, whereas the passing of RTI in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a living testament to the fact that the passing of RTI is not as time taking as say energy reforms.
Bear in mind that the article 19A of Pakistan’s constitution clearly states that “every citizen shall have the right to have access to information in all matters of public importance subject to regulation and reasonable restrictions imposed by law.”
The formation of that law is the prerogative of legislators but since access to information is a justifiable right under the country’s constitution, rival politicians and civil society should consider that the courts can and should be moved to force the government to follow the constitution and pass the RTI.
Why is the government dilly dallying on the subject, we don’t know. Perhaps because of the fears of the powers that be that don’t want too much information out there; or perhaps the government is only being lazy; or perhaps it is too busy considering that the RTI often ends being one of the last items on the agenda of cabinet meetings. Whatever may be the case, the failure to pass the RTI is only giving strength to the notion that PML-N’s promises are also made to be broken.
The passing of RTI can potentially change the economic and political landscape of the country. Aside from increasing transparency, accountability, citizen participation open data and access to information leads to promotion of economic growth by helping launch new businesses, optimizing existing companies’ operations, creating jobs, and improving the overall climate for foreign investment. It also improves efficiency and effectiveness and coverage of public service, for instance strengthening healthcare systems by connecting patients to providers, or promoting education; or relieving hunger.
Little wonder then that the likes of McKinsey Global Institute estimate that open data alone could generate up to $3-5 trillion a year globally in terms of additional economic value. The consensus view is that the impact of access to information ranges from “significant” to “extremely significant”. This therefore implies that those advocating for access to information laws should also bring in the businesses to effectively lobby for the passing of RTI laws.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.