FAFEN Reveals Non-Compliance by Federal Ministries with Mandatory Public Information Law

The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has revealed that most federal ministries in Pakistan are not adhering to the law that mandates the disclosure of public interest information. According to a report by FAFEN, a review of the websites of 40 divisions across 33 federal ministries showed that these ministries are not following the legal requirements for publishing essential public information on their websites.

The report highlights that the Cabinet Division and the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination were the most compliant, with only 42% adherence to the law. However, none of the 40 divisions in these ministries fully implemented Section 5 of the Right to Information (RTI) law, which requires the disclosure of public information.

FAFEN emphasized that failure to publish accurate and necessary information on government websites can lead to the spread of misleading and incorrect information, undermining public trust and transparency. This lack of compliance with the RTI law has raised concerns about the government’s commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in public affairs.

The report calls for stronger enforcement of the law to ensure that citizens have easy access to vital information, which is essential for informed decision-making and democratic participation.