PIC directs Info ministry to provide details of funds it released to media representatives groups
The Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) has directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to provide certified details of funds released by the government to different media representatives groups during the last two years.
The PIC also directed the Ministry to put contact details of its designated Public Information Officer (PIO) on its web site, as required under Section 5 (1) (h)of the Act and submit notification to this effect to this commission within 10 working days of the receipt of this Order.
According to the details, the Appellant has requested the information ministry to provide her details about the funds the government has released to different journalists’ bodies in the year 2019 and 2020.
Click here to download Order of Pakistan Information Commission
Besides, the citizen has sought a certified list of journalists’ bodies which received funds during the past two years and a copy of criteria and mechanism under which funds were released.
The ministry, in the order, is also directed to proactively publish, through its web site, all categories of information as required under Section 5 of the Act, aside from submitting the compliance report to the commission under Section 5 of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017’.
The ministry is also directed to ensure accessibility of the information proactively published on its web site under Section 5 of the RTI law for all citizens, including the blind, low-vision, physically disabled, speech and hearing impaired and people with other disabilities and submit compliance report to this effect using ‘Web accessibility checklist’.
It is to mention here that a journalist based in Islamabad has sought information from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting about the funds released to different journalists’ representatives bodies.
The ministry was supposed to provide the requested information in a certain time period under the RTI law but the ministry failed to do so.
In another order passed by the Pakistan Information Commission on Monday, the Higher Education Commission is directed to provide the information about vacant posts of Vice-Chancellors, Professors, Assistant Professors, and Lectures in the public and private universities across the country.
HEC is also directed to provide the information jobless, and the total amount the HEC has spent on PhDs under its different projects to improve the quality of higher education in the country.
Meanwhile, the PIC, in another order on Monday, also directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is directed to provide the information about vacant posts of vice-chancellors, professors, assistant professors, and lectures in the public and private sectors universities registec with HEC from across the country.
The higher education authority is also directed to provide the information about jobless PhDs, total amount the HEC has spent on PhDs under its different projects to improve the quality of higher education in the country.
