ISLAMABAD: State minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has fulfilled yet another of its promises by getting the Right for Access to Information Bill, 2017, passed.
She expressed these views, while presenting the Right for Access to Information Bill, 2017, which was unanimously passed by the Senate on Tuesday.
Marriyum said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab had also introduced the right to information bills in 2013.
She said that this bill at the federal level would ensure access to information to every citizen, promote good governance and oversight of the institutions as well as transparency in matters relating to governance.
According to the bill, it would be mandatory to provide the sought information within ten days and in case of withholding the information, cogent reason would have to be given. The public functionaries denying access to information would be awarded two years imprisonment and a fine of up to rupees one hundred thousand.
Salary of the officers delaying the information beyond the stipulated period would be deducted on a daily basis, said the minister.
The minister said that the information concerning somebody’s life and liberty would be provided within three days, the minister added.
The minister said that the journalists would be the greatest beneficiary of this bill as it would enable them to present real and comprehensive facts before the public.
