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Pakistan Press Foundation

Access to Information

Freedom: the great debate

Pakistan Press Foundation

When the fundamental rights to ‘liberty’ and ‘dignity’ guaranteed by Articles 9 and 14 of the constitution have limited real-life utility, the heavily conditioned Article 19 promising free speech is dead in the water. Why? Because we are a society where deference to authority is ingrained at every stage of one’s socialisation, where ‘freedom’ is […]


Data collection under RTI laws helps in investigation journalism

Pakistan Press Foundation

Karachi, Feb 8:  For better investigative stories it is necessary for reporters to gather important data from related departments using the laws of right to information, said PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali. Speaking to the participants of a training workshop on use of RTI Act, he said these laws have ensured more transparency and […]


Press conference on effective implementation of Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act 2016

Pakistan Press Foundation

Call for taking measures for ensuring public access to information under RTI Coalition on Right to Information (CRTI) and its partners Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) and Center of Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) raised the voice to urge the government to ensure implementation of Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2016 on February 6, […]


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SC rules overt, covert censorship unconstitutional

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: Overt and covert censorship is unconstitutional and illegal, the Supreme Court ruled while deciding a suo motu notice relating to the Faizabad Interchange sit-in by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). “Nebulous tactics, such as issuing advice to self-censor, to suppress independent viewpoints, to project prescribed ones, to direct who should be hired or fired by media […]


‘It’s the constitutional right of every citizen to get information from govt departments’

Pakistan Press Foundation

KARACHI: Speakers at a consultative workshop held on Monday at a local hotel regretted the government’s lack of interest in implementing the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act 2016 and pointed out that despite the passage of almost 21 months, very few public bodies/departments had nominated a designated officer to provide information as per […]


Up to 7,076 people received information from govt depts under RTI, seminar told

Pakistan Press Foundation

PESHAWAR: Chief Information Commissioner Right to Information Commission Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Azmat Hanif Orakzai has said that 7,076 people have received information from the government departments under the Right to Information Act in the province. “The number of people seeking information under the RTI law to check the performance and transparency of the government departments is […]


Call for implementing right to information act

Pakistan Press Foundation

KARACHI: Speakers at a consultative workshop held on Tuesday at a local hotel expressed concern over delay in proper implementation of the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2016, and said that it was necessary to ensure transparency in good governance. The workshop titled ‘Improving public service delivery through RTI’ was organised by […]


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RTI’s complaints commission itself in complainant mode

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: Although the PTI government has set up the Federal Information Commission (FIC) to deal with complaints against the ministries and their subordinate departments denying public their lawful right to seek information, the commission itself has assumed the status of a complainant. It has neither been allocated the staff required to start work nor given […]


Data protection law

Pakistan Press Foundation

THE introduction of a draft law on data protection and privacy by the IT and telecom ministry is a welcome step. In the absence of such a law, Pakistani citizens have had their privacy breached and personal data leaked and used without their consent a number of times by individuals, companies, and the state. It […]


PPF challenges Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act

Pakistan Press Foundation

The Pakistan Press Foundation has challenged the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 as being ‘ultra vires’ to the constitution, especially Article 19, which gives every citizen the right to freedom of speech and expression. In a petition, lawyer Yasser Latif Hamdani has argued that despite a lapse of two years the ministry is yet […]


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SC restrains media from airing public comments in sub judice matters

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday issued a verdict wherein the media has been restrained from airing public comments regarding sub judice matters. “The oft-used term ‘media trial’ is a real phenomenon and cannot be allowed where the fate of sub judice matters is being decided on public forums as not only the […]


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RTI alliance launched

Pakistan Press Foundation

Islamabad: To conduct research on current situation of Right to Information (RTI) and to create awareness on RTI law, civil society organisations working on RTI has launched Pakistan Alliance on Right to Information (PA-RTI). Under this alliance, awareness activities, policy seminars and a national level briefing of Federal Minister for Information Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on […]


RTI Champions Awards 2018 conferred

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: The Coalition on Right to Information conferred RTI Champions Awards 2018 during a ceremony here. Senator Farhatullah Babar was chief guest at the ceremony. The awards were conferred on Riaz Khan Daudzai and Zohaib Hassan in the Journalist, citizen and best performing PIO categories, respectively. The News International


Ministries have not provided information required under federal RTI law: study

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: Federal ministries have not provided 39 categories of information required under the 2017 Federal Right of Access to Information Act, 17 ministries have not set up websites and 29 have performed poorly in complying with the proactive disclosure clause, a study revealed on Wednesday. A study titled Impeding Transparency, Accountability and Access to Information: […]