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Citizens’ right to know is a vital tool for making the government accountable and governance system transparent, said Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, Leader of the House in the Senate, at a “Stakeholders Dialogue on Freedom of Information” arranged by the Centre for Civic Education Pakistan (CCEP).

 He said the Freedom of Information makes democracy more inclusive by facilitating citizens’ access to public records and the government was working on improving the FOI law by expanding the scope of the present FOI Ordinance.

 Mr. Riaz Fatayan, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights, regretted that like many other laws FOI Ordinance-2002, promulgated seven years back, was yet to be fully implemented. He said that strong right to know laws have impact on economy as 85% of the world economy was in democratic countries.

 MNA Ms. Donya Aziz of the Pakistan Muslim League said that the present FOI Ordinance needed to be amended to make it more effective. She said a lot of efforts have to be done to make the public servants and office holders accountable to the people. The MNA said that she has suggested some procedural amendments in the FOI Ordinance through a Private Member Bill six months back and would reintroduce the Bill soon in the National Assembly.

 Dr. Ishaque Baloch of the National Party said that the ruling political parties should strengthen democratic institutions and misuse of the term “national interest” should be stopped to give people free access to government record.

 Ajmad Bahtti, Policy Adviser of the Ministry of Information, said that the debate on FOI should not remain confined to power corridors but should be taken to people. Prof. Ahmed Ali Khan, Project Director of the National Law University, said that the Higher Education Commission has included concepts of human rights and right to know in the curriculum that will soon be taught in the colleges.

 Mr. Zafarullah Khan, Executive Director of the CCEP, said that the right to know and access to information has impact on transparency in governance system. He urged upon all the stakeholders to join hands for expanding the scope of fundamental rights in the Constitution by sending suggestions to the Constitutional Review Committee of the Parliament.

Mr. Fayyaz Hussain, DG internal Publicity of the Ministry of Information, said that efforts are being made for making a new and comprehensive FOI ACT that would replace the FOI Ordinance-2002.

 Shamsul Islam Naz, General Secretary of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, stressed upon across the board accountability in the society including media organization.