PPP welcomes PIC order about recruitments in superior judiciary: Senator Farhatullah Babar

Islamabad: The Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has welcomed the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) order about recruitment in the superior judiciary, saying that “Implementation of order will enhance, not detract from, the majesty of law and the courts”.

PPP-Parliamentarians Secretary General Senator Farhatullah Babar, in a recent statement, said the PIC order about recruitments in the apex court be provided to the citizen, Ahmad Mukhtar Ali, who had sought it over two years ago but had not been given.

In a landmark order last week, the PIC had said “If citizens’ right of access to information in matters of public importance pertaining to superior judiciary is restricted on the grounds that it would impact its independence and core functions, the same grounds would be relevant in the case of all public institutions.”

“Implementation of this order, as well as the earlier order on June 2, 2021 to provide information about pension, perks, privileges, post retirement benefits and plots allotted in government schemes to Judges, will enhance, not detract from, the majesty of the law and the courts,” it states.

PPP Babar further said transparency and accountability along with rule of law are pillars of democracy and the order will strengthen these pillars of democracy.

The order is also a bold declaration that independence of courts is their independence from the executive and not their independence from law itself, the PPP leader added.

The senior politician said that in the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the parliament last week, it transpired that the National Logistics Cell (NLC) had even refused to give information to the Planning Commission about audit objections.

The meeting was told that NLC failed to explain audit objections, did not observe procurement rules, did not safeguard public money and awarded contracts to single bidders without advertising it according to the rules.

The Secretary of the Planning Commission was so frustrated that he asked that NLC be transferred and placed under some other ministry.

This was a stinging indictment of the NLC but no one heeded, he said.

Babar expressed the hope that the Court will abide by the orders of the PIC which also called for appointment of a Public Information Officers placing all relevant information placed on websites as provided in the RTI law.