• February 1, 2023
• Access to Information, Right to Information
• Web Desk

Despite being a law that can serve journalists in their investigative work and being a right of all citizens, there remains a lack of awareness and implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) law in Pakistan.

In an effort to increase an understanding of the use of the RTI law, Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) organized a day-long workshop on the use of the law for the officers of the Press Information Department (PID) at the PPF Training Centre in Karachi.

Opening the event on January 26, Press Information Department (PID) Karachi Director General Irum Tanveer welcomed the initiative and underscored the importance of such a training programme. She thanked PPF for its efforts and for including her in the process.

Addressing the event, PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali said that the RTI law is a law that changes societies. He said that while the first RTI law was introduced in 2002, it was very weak and had no significance for nearly a decade. Later, when it became law, the role of the right to information in changing society started to become apparent

“Whenever I talk to journalists, I encourage them to bring change in society through their articles. Bringing change in the society is not only their responsibility but our responsibility too,” Ali said, adding: “I believe that if a journalist is serious about gathering information through the RTI process, he will always be able to get the information and there would be no need to approach the information department.”

RTI specialist and activist Dr. Syed Raza Ali Gardezi who facilitated the workshop discussed the provisions of Right of Access to Information Act, 2017 in detail. He said according to this law citizens can ask the government and public bodies for information and the government has to provide it because access to that information is a right recognized in the Constitution of Pakistan.

Ends/PPF