Islamabad: The Pakistan Information Commission has issued a significant order, penalizing Mr. Pervez Khan, Superintending Engineer of Pak PWD, with the deduction of one-month salary as a fine for failing to adhere to the Commission’s directives.
The Commission’s order stems from a case initiated by Mr. Wahab Gul, who filed an appeal regarding non-disclosure of requested information by the public body. The appeal was allowed on June 1, 2023, and the public body was instructed to provide certified copies of the required information to the Commission within 10 days.
Despite this directive, the order was not complied with, prompting the issuance of a notice under Section 20(f) of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017 to Director General, Pak-PWD. In response, Mr. Pervez Khan appeared before the Commission on August 30, 2023, and assured that the required information would be furnished to the appellant if he visits the public body’s office within seven days.
However, on the subsequent hearing date, September 27, 2023, no representative from the public body appeared, and Mr. Wahab Gul reported that he had visited Mr. Pervez Khan’s office but had not received necessary information.
In the light of this situation, a fresh show-cause notice was issued to Mr. Pervez Khan under Section 20(1)(2) of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, with copies to Director General, Pak-PWD, and Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works.
Regrettably, no response or appearance was received from him Pak-PWD regarding show-cause notice, leading the Commission to conclude that Mr. Pervez Khan has no justifiable explanation for his willful non-compliance.
The Commission is concerned about the delay in sharing information and failure to adhere to the Commission’s orders. Consequently, a fine equivalent to 30 days salary of Mr. Pervez Khan’s has been imposed.
A letter has been sent to the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) to deduct the salary of the officer and submit compliance report before the next scheduled hearing which is November 08, 2023.
The Commission’s order has also been conveyed to Mr. Pervez Khan, Director General, Pak-PWD, and Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works, with explicit instructions to comply with the Commission’s order and submit compliance report by November 8, 2023.
