Despite the importance of the statutory bodies working to ensure the protection of fundamental rights in the country, the composition of the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) has remained incomplete for almost two years now.
PIC, a statutory commission responsible for enforcing citizens’ right to access public information, has been incomplete for over 20 months following the resignation of its civil society member in January 2024.
Why does the Commission remain incomplete?
Following the enactment of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, on October 12, 2017, the first PIC was constituted in November 2018, almost six months after the legal deadline for its establishment. The law required the constitution of the Information Commission within six months of the commencement of the Act. Its four-year term ended in November 2022.
After a two-month gap, the Prime Minister partially reconstituted the Commission in January 2023 by appointing Mr. Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui as Chief Information Commissioner and Mr. Ijaz Hussain Awan as Information Commissioner. However, the seat for the civil society representative remained vacant. Later, the Prime Minister appointed the civil society member, Mr. Huzaifa Rehman, as Information Commissioner in June 2023. Nevertheless, in just seven months in office, Mr. Rehman resigned from his post in January 2024, citing personal reasons. The position has remained vacant since then, limiting the Commission’s institutional capacity.
What is the Pakistan Information Commission?
PIC is an autonomous statutory body established under Section 18 of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, with the primary responsibility to receive and decide appeals filed against public bodies’ decisions on citizens’ information requests. Additionally, the Commission is tasked with ensuring implementation of the provisions of the Act, particularly compliance with the requirements of proactive information disclosures by public bodies, compiling user handbooks on information requests, and submitting biannual reports on its activities and audited accounts to the Parliament.
Who can serve on the Commission?
The legal composition of the Commission includes:
- One person qualified to be a High Court Judge;
- One former civil servant (BS-22); and
- One representative from civil society with at least 16 years of education and 15 years of professional experience.
All members are appointed by the Prime Minister, who also designates one of them as Chief Information Commissioner. They serve a non-renewable four-year term, work on a full-time basis, and are barred from holding other public offices, political affiliations, or private business or professional interests during their tenure. – Written by Shehzad Anwer, FAFEN Staff Member
