Village Council Secretaries Empowered for Right to Information Act
Tank: The Right to Information Act has emerged as a crucial tool in upholding fundamental human rights and fostering transparency in institutions. Recognizing the significance of this law, Syed Saadat Jahan, Assistant Director of Communication at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission, emphasized the role of village secretaries as ambassadors of the Right to Information (RTI) in their local communities.
These views were expressed by Saadat during a seminar held in Tank on Thursday, aimed at educating newly appointed Public Information Officers on the ‘Access to Information Act’ as per the notification by the Local Government Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Attended by over 50 Village Council Secretaries, including the Assistant Director of Local Government for South Waziristan, the seminar served as a platform for exchanging knowledge and insights.
Syed Saadat Jahan delivered a comprehensive lecture on the “Right to Information Law,” stressing the importance of their role in combating corruption and ensuring access to information.
Addressing the village secretaries, Jahan underscored the significance of their contribution in facilitating citizen empowerment. He urged them to extend all possible support to the public, particularly those with limited education, in the process of submitting applications and seeking information.
During the seminar, the participants had the opportunity to engage with Noor Syed, Admin Officer of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission, who addressed their queries. Responding to one of the questions, Syed highlighted that the RTI also provides protection to public information officers, empowering them to provide information to citizens upon request without hesitation.
This seminar marked the fourth collaborative effort between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission and the Governance and Public Policy for Merged Districts, aimed at raising awareness of the access to information law in the merged districts.
