SC to disclose employee information in response to RTI request

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan, led by Chief Justice (CJ) Qazi Faiz Issa, released a ten-page written decision on Thursday concerning the country’s Right to Information Law.

The judgment highlighted that over 100 countries have established laws granting citizens the right to information. It also mentioned a precedent set by the US courts which viewed the right to information as integral to ensuring democracy, accountability, and protection against corruption.

The decision also drew upon an example involving Hazrat Umar being held accountable for a new piece of clothing, implying the importance and transparency of leadership.

The case is centred on a request to the Registrar of the SC, seeking disclosure of eight different sets of information.

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The decision emphasises that, while there are currently no specific rules or laws governing the Supreme Court’s responsibility towards the Right to Information Law, denials for information access should be grounded in valid reasons.

The judgment concluded that, in this specific instance, the Supreme Court found no valid grounds to withhold information from the petitioner. Consequently, the court upheld the necessity to provide the requested details, reinforcing the importance of transparency and accessibility to public information.