ISLAMABAD: A recent report by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) reveals that most federal ministries are not complying with the Right of Access to Information (RTI) Act of 2017, hindering citizens’ access to public data and fueling misinformation.
The report, based on an analysis of 40 divisions under 33 federal ministries, states that nearly half of these ministries failed to respond to information requests under the RTI law. This is despite Article 19A of the Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to access information, further supported by the federal RTI Act and provincial legislation.
The assessment, conducted between April and June 2024, assessed how well these ministries adhered to Section 5 of the RTI Act, which mandates the publication of detailed information such as the ministry’s functions, budget, policies, regulations, and personnel. Fafen found that none of the 40 divisions fully complied with this requirement.
The compliance rate varied significantly across divisions. The Cabinet and Inter-Provincial Coordination Divisions had the highest compliance at 42%. However, several ministries, such as Petroleum, Revenue, Interior, and Planning, reported a compliance rate of 38%, while others like Climate Change and Information Technology had a lower compliance rate of 31%.
The divisions with the worst compliance were Housing and Works, Information and Broadcasting, and Ports and Shipping, with rates as low as 8% for the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division.
Fafen also filed RTI requests to the ministries. While 19 of the 33 ministries responded, 14 did not provide any information. Only 9 ministries met the required deadline of 10 working days, while 10 others responded late. Notably, ministries like Climate Change and Commerce responded promptly, but others like Finance, Revenue, Interior, and Railways failed to meet the deadlines.
This report highlights the lack of transparency and accountability in the functioning of key government ministries, limiting citizensβ access to crucial public information.
