Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan Holds FOI Consultation

The Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) has announced a consultation session scheduled for July 14, 2008 on a Freedom of Information Bill 2008 at Islamabad. The main objectives of the consultation are to review and analyze the FOI Bill 2008 in comparison with current FOI laws; debate the strengths and weakness of the Bill; collate the feedback of key stakeholders; and develop proposals for improvement of the Bill keeping in view the universal principles of FOI and ground realities in the national context.

 

The CRCP says:

 

The 2008 FOI Bill is a modified version of an earlier Bill, which was initiated by Ms. Sherry Rehman in 2004 when her political party ‑ Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ‑ was in the opposition. The objective of the 2004 FOI Bill was to repeal the Freedom of Information Ordinance, 2002, and enact a national law with substantive improvements including the whistleblower protection. The Bill was submitted to the National Assembly as a Private Member Bill, but it could not be debated. After PPP was voted to power in the general elections held in February 2008, Ms. Sherry Rehman became the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting. Now, she has again taken up this matter and has proposed FOI Bill 2008, which is expected to be tabled soon as a Treasury Bill in the National Assembly. In this regard, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting hurriedly convened a consultation with civil society and media on freedom of information on May 15, 2008. However, this effort proved futile to a great extent, as strengths and weaknesses of the Bill could not be debated in the consultation.