Right to Information Bill, 2016 to be introduced in NA shortly: Marriyum Aurangzeb

ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb Monday apprised the Senate that the Right to Information Bill 2016 had been approved by the Cabinet and would be introduced in the National Assembly shortly.

Opposing the private member bill "The Right to Information Bill, 2016" moved by Kamil Ali Agha and others, she said impression was being given that the government was not doing work on the bill. However, she said that the draft of the bill had been prepared with the spirit to bring improvement in access to information. The minister said the government had been working on the bill for the last 11 months adding that consultations were made with all the stakeholders.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said the Prime Minister had constituted a five members committee consisting of parliamentarians to review the proposed bill. The bill was thoroughly reviewed, compared with other countries and provinces and then was referred to Law Division.

The minister said that the draft of the bill had been prepared on the basis of the proposals given by the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting.

She assured the House that recommendations given by the Senate would also be incorporated in the bill to make it flawless.

Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani referred the bill to the select committee of the Senate for further deliberation as the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting had already approved it.

Earlier, moving the bill in the house, Kamil Ali Agha said that provinces had already been passed such bills.

Farhatullah Babar of the views that access to information was fundamental right of the citizen under Article 19A. All the four provinces have already implemented right to information bills, he added.

He also pointed out that the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting had already endorsed the bill.