A newsletter containing news, views, articles, investigative stories in
the field of
Right to Information
From
Around the World
Issue No: 71
E - Alert
Issue Date: 09-07-2013
Editorial
Greetings from the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives, (CPDI)!
Things are looking up with regard to right to information legislation in
the country, especially at the provincial level. The government of Punjab has
almost finalized the draft Punjab Right to Information Act 2013. CPDI former
founding Director has participated in two meetings of the committee constituted
by the Chief Minister of Punjab to finalize the draft. The committee agreed to
all points but one. The Punjab Ombudsman and one other member wanted entrust
the taks of appellate body to Punjab Ombudsman whereas the rest wanted to set
up independent and powerful autonomous commission. CPDI tried to convince the
members on the need for Punjab Information Commission and as the committee had
decided to not to decide issues through voting, everyone has given their
comments in writing and matter of appellate body has been left for the Chief
Minister to decide.
KPK is going to have good law soon as the draft law prepared by a leading
RTI expert based on CPDI Model KPK Right to Information law is very effective.
There is realization within the top hierarchy of governing political party in
KPK about the need for a good right to information law. This is the latest from
Pakistan on RTI front. As most of you are aware, interesting developments are
taking place in India where political parties have been taken into the ambit of
Indian Right to Information Act and decision was widely hailed. Now, we hear
political parties getting their act together and trying to get exemption
through legislation. Interesting days ahead.
Happy Reading
Freedom of Information Act : Finalised draft comes under scrutiny
DAWN.com
LAHORE, June 30: The draft Freedom of Information Act Bill finalised in
the last days of the Shahbaz Sharif's previous government after around a
four-year effort of local and foreign experts is once again being scrutinised
by a committee, generating ...
National security versus transparency: drawing the line
PublicServiceEurope.com
Amid new controversy in the United States over secret government
surveillance of phone and internet communications, a new set of Global
Principles on National Security and the Right to Information – called the
Tshwane Principles, for the province in ...
BBC spent £28m of licence-fee payers' money gagging 500 staff
Telegraph.co.uk
According to figures released under Freedom of Information, in the past
five years 539 staff have signed gagging orders at a total cost of £28million.
The scale of the pay-outs led to accusations that the BBC was using the
agreements to silence ...
Right to information
The Express Tribune
A sub-committee of the Senate standing committee on information and
broadcasting recently circulated a draft that seems to be a step in the right
direction. The proposed RTI Bill is a welcome step towards improving access to
information for the ...
'30% RTI applications in health dept frivolous'
Hindustan Times
According to officials, there has been a heavy misuse of the Right to
Information Act 2005 with a host of applications enquiring about personal
details of the authorities and doctors in the health department. “Nearly 30% of
these RTI applications were ...
Right to Information Bill: More to hide than reveal | Radio1 FM91 Beta
In the absence of a specific law to ensure access to information in
Pakistan, the long pending Right to Information Bill is seen by many as a
much-needed step to ...
CIC to decide who will be responsible for baggage loss
Deccan Herald
A Right to Information (RTI) query filed by a harried passenger after his
son lost his baggage at the Delhi airport was transferred from one department
to another, prompting the CIC to invite submission from all concerned,
including the Civil Aviation ...
Immunity for political parties soon? Inter-ministry talks to amend RTI Act
Firstpost
New Delhi: High-level consultations are on between officials of the
Ministry of Personnel and Law to decide on amendments in Right to Information
(RTI) Act to give immunity to political parties from providing information
after a CIC order brought them ...
Defence Department sells piece of missile defence by mistake
Toronto Star
The information was made public after a Freedom of Information request by
the Montreal newspaper La Presse uncovered a report sent to Defence Minister
Peter McKay outlining the sale and the ministry's reaction to turning over a
piece of “controlled” ...
1000 Victims Of Knife Crime Every Month In London
LBC 97.3
The statistics, released after a Freedom of Information request, show
that around 400 people are being injured in attacks every month. There were
1,038 victims of knife crime in London in January, of which 410 were injured
and four killed. In February ...
Aruna Roy, Kejriwal team up to fight RTI change
Hindustan Times
Renewed political attack on Right To Information (RTI) Act to exempt
political parties from its purview has brought together friends turned foe
Aruna Roy and Arvind Kejriwal together. They issued a joint statement anchored
by former central information ...
Environmentalist gets results through persistent pursuit of documents
Globe and Mail
... she grew up and began to investigate government that her perseverance
really paid off. Ms. Barlee, policy director of the Wilderness Committee, has
carved out a reputation over the past decade for her tenacious use of Freedom
of Information ...
Almost two thirds of BBC programmes are repeats
Telegraph.co.uk
Statistics released under Freedom of Information legislation show that an
average of 63% of programmes broadcast across BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three and
BBC Four in the year 2011 to 2012 had already been shown previously. The figure
was up two ...
Freedom of information bill to be tabled in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly
The Express Tribune
The minister said information about why projects are delayed is not
available and corruption prevails because of the absence of such a law. “Once
enacted, a freedom of information law would put an end to various complaints
about government departments ...
Zahid Abdullah - Programme Manager
Transparency and Right to Information Program
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Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives, Pakistan (CPDI-Pakistan)
Tel: 051-2101594; 4319430; 2108287
URL: www.cpdi-pakistan.org
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