Punjab RTI Law Faces Major Changes: Facilitation or Restriction?
Lahore – The Punjab Information Commission (PIC) has finalised wide-ranging amendments to the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013, aimed at addressing administrative challenges and concerns of misuse. The draft proposals, developed after consultations with civil society, RTI activists, and government departments, will now be forwarded to the Punjab Information and Culture Department for submission to the provincial assembly.
Under the proposed reforms, citizens will still be able to submit requests for information by hand, post, or electronically, but new conditions have been added. Every application must now be accompanied by a copy of the CNIC, while the use of email for filing requests will be restricted. Complaints to the Commission will only be admissible within 60 days of the original application, after which applicants would need to reapply to the Public Information Officer (PIO).
The Commission has committed to launching an online portal to streamline complaints, while public bodies will be required to publish clearer procedures for applications, including costs and internal review mechanisms. The response time for PIOs is also likely to be extended.The draft strengthens privacy protections, citing Article 14 of the Constitution. Requests deemed personal, vague, or overly broad could be denied unless an overriding public interest is established. Frivolous or repetitive applications may also be rejected, reflecting international practices in countries such as the UK and Australia.
For enforcement, the PIC will gain new powers to execute decisions after 30 days, with penalties for non-compliance rising to Rs 100,000. Ex-parte proceedings will be formally defined, and offences under Sections 16 and 17 of the Act will specify the competent court. An appellate body above the Commission is also proposed, alongside an advisory committee for policy guidance.
Transparency advocates have welcomed measures like digitisation and stronger enforcement but raised alarms over restrictions on email submissions, expanded grounds for denial, and ambiguous criteria for “frivolous” requests.“The law must remain citizen-centric and not turn into an administrative shield against accountability,” warned one RTI activist. If adopted, the amendments would represent the most sweeping changes to Punjab’s RTI framework since its introduction in 2013, reshaping how citizens seek information and hold public offices accountable.
