May 3, 2002
Islamabad: Campaign for Freedom of Information in Pakistan (FOI-Pakistan) of Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) deplores the dismal state of press freedom in Pakistan and demands the enactment of Freedom of Information legislation on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. The need for having Freedom of Information legislation can hardly be overstated. It is of utmost importance for press freedom in Pakistan, since lack of freedom of information retards the capacity of citizens and press to monitor public institutions.
The freedom of press to disseminate independent information in Pakistan is regulated and controlled through several laws. Journalists, media practitioners and media organizations do not have any legal right to get information except through their informal connections with the bureaucracy and the ruling elite. FOI-Pakistan condemns this secretive culture prevalent in the public institutions, which results in people's mistrust in state institutions and many other ills including corruption and irregularities.
FOI-Pakistan believes that people's access to information can greatly reduce the chances of corruption in public sector institutions, and thus, demands the enactment of Freedom of Information legislation in order to ensure access to relevant information by all stakeholders. This in turn would guarantee public scrutiny, accountability and transparency in the operation of various government departments, particularly the way they spend public money meant for public welfare projects. On the contrary, the absence of freedom of information not only leads to increased incidences of corruption in the government departments but also causes citizens to lose confidence in their integrity and capability to deliver.
Freedom of information is a constitutional right in Pakistan under Article 19 of the Constitution, which deals with freedom of speech and expression. Freedom of information is a pre-condition for freedom of expression as no freedom of speech or expression is conceivable without freedom of information. FOI-Pakistan believes that the right to freedom of information needs to be ensured through elaborate legal provisions and administrative arrangements.
CRCP had drafted a Model Freedom of Information Act, 2001 in consultation with all the concerned stakeholders after an extensive consultative process stretching over a period of almost two years. This Model Act was presented to the Ministry of Law in March 2001 but still awaits enactment. CRCP has also launched the "Campaign for Freedom of Information-Pakistan" under its Law and Governance Unit.
FOI-Pakistan demands the enactment of Freedom of Information Act in Pakistan to facilitate the free flow of information like more than thirty-five countries in the world, which have already adopted various legislative schemes for freedom of information, ranging from constitutional guarantees to independent legislation on Freedom of Information.