September 23, 2025
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
Under Article 19-A of the Constitution of Pakistan, the Right to Information (RTI) is recognized as a fundamental right of every citizen. According to this law, all citizens have the right to access information regarding matters of public importance, subject to reasonable restrictions imposed under the law. The law applies not only to government departments but also to private institutions that are substantially financed by the government. The core aim of RTI is to ensure transparency, accountability, and the elimination of corruption, ultimately improving the delivery of public services.
Why normalizing RTI is essential
It has been stressed that for strengthening transparency between institutions and the public in Pakistan, it is crucial that citizens actively use the RTI law. The more citizens exercise their right, the more accountability will increase, corruption will decline, and public service delivery will improve.
Implementation challenges
Speaking to Voicepk, Advocate Supreme Court Shabbir Hussain Gigyani explained that the basic purpose of RTI is to ensure citizens have access to all forms of public information.
Purpose of RTI law
“The basic purpose of this law is to ensure that the public has access to every kind of information, not just the information that is linked directly to the citizens or any property matter of that citizen, except those matters which are related to the security of the country, forces or any secret information. All other information related to senate, ministries and assemblies should be public and people should be able to praise the work if good and criticise if bad.”
Complications in implementation
However, he stressed that despite its potential, RTI suffers from weak implementation.
“This law is for transparency but there are certain complications, it does not have a proper implementation. A citizen would give an application to a certain institution, and it’s a long due process because the applicant has to go to different offices again and again. When the department does not respond, the applicant has to approach the directorate of the RTI, which causes delays and turns into a series of litigation instead of benefiting the citizen.”
Suggested reforms
For effective reforms, Gigyani suggested district-level offices and digital access.
“To ensure the proper implementation of the RTI law, I would suggest that there should be district wise division of the RTI offices and every district should have an RTI office so the process can become easier. The RTI office should be contacting the department and informing the citizen, instead of the citizen chasing departments. Everything should be online, with a portal available so that a citizen can file an application digitally.”
RTI is every citizen’s legal right
AGHS lawyer Aliza Naqvi told Voicepk that RTI is the legal right of every citizen, aimed at ensuring transparency within institutions. She noted that any Pakistani can file a request by submitting their name, CNIC number, and address to the relevant department.
“Being a Pakistani citizen is enough to file an RTI request, and any citizen can ask a question regarding any matter,” Naqvi said.
Institutions’ responsibility to provide information
Under RTI law, every department is bound to provide the requested information within 10 to 15 days of receiving the application. If, for some reason, the information is not available or requires more time to compile, the institution is required to notify the applicant that their request is under process. This mechanism is a crucial element of transparency, ensuring that applicants are not left in the dark or ignored.
Grounds for rejection
RTI requests can be rejected for two reasons. If the requested information is already publicly available, or if the requested information has been declared ‘classified’.
Naqvi notes that this is a major loophole:
“Government institutions have the authority to classify information at their discretion, which can sometimes obstruct the transparency process and make it difficult for citizens to access vital information.”
Right to appeal
If an institution fails to provide the requested information or rejects the application, the citizen has the legal right to file an appeal within 30 days with the Pakistan Information Commission. The Commission ensures that the fundamental right to information is protected and that institutions remain accountable under the law.