No division under 33 ministries fully complied with RTI Act: Fafen

ISLAMABAD: A majority of federal ministries and their divisions are not fully complying with the requirements for disclosure of public information on their websites, as embodied in Right of Access to Information Act (RTI), 2017.

This gap enables proliferation of misinformation and disinformation, according to Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen).

Fafen highlights absence of timely and authentic information about public bodies, their functions, and decisions can inadvertently encourage misinformation and disinformation, particularly on social media, which may undermine credibility of government institutions.

Instead of relying solely on legislative and regulatory measures to address misinformation and disinformation, which carry the potential for misuse, Fafen emphasises the need for proactive disclosure of information through optimal use of information technology.

Such measures would not only counter misinformation and disinformation effectively, but also enhance government transparency and public confidence.

According to Fafen’s assessment of websites of 40 divisions operating under 33 federal ministries, none of the assessed entities fully complied with RTI Act, which mandates government bodies to proactively disclose public information online in accordance with the principles of Article 19-A of the Constitution. Over one-third of ministries did not respond to information requests as required by the law. Conducted between April and June 2024, the assessment was made under criteria established by Section 5 of RTI Act, 2017, which includes information about an overview of public bodies, reports and investigations, public services and conditions, personnel information, legal framework and policies, decision-making and financial information and access to information. A division-wise analysis of website disclosures revealed significant variations in compliance with the RTI law. The Cabinet Division and Inter-Provincial Coordination Division ranked highest, achieving a compliance rate of 42pc with Section 5 of RTI Act.

Fifteen divisions fell within the compliance range of 31% to 40%. Among these, six divisions — Establishment, Petroleum, National Heritage and Culture, Revenue, Interior, Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives — achieved 38pc compliance each. Another seven divisions — Commerce, Communications, Federal Education and Professional Training, Foreign Affairs, Privatization, Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony and Water Resources — reported 35pc compliance each. Climate Change and Information Technology and Telecommunication Divisions had the lowest compliance in this group at 31pc. Thirteen divisions fell into 21pc to 30pc compliance category. Within this range, Aviation, Defence, Defence Production, Economic Affairs, Power, Human Rights, Law and Justice, Parliamentary Affairs, Railways and Science and Technology divisions each achieved 27pc compliance.

Finance, Industries and Production, and National Food Security and Research divisions had a compliance rate of 23pc. Nine divisions were categorised as having compliance rates between 11pc and 20pc. Of these, six divisions — Housing and Works, Information and Broadcasting, Ports and Shipping, Narcotics Control, National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development — reported 19pc compliance each. National Security, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan and States and Frontier divisions each achieved 15pc. Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division ranked the lowest, with just 8pc of legally-required information available on its website. Following the website assessment, Fafen filed RTI requests with 33 federal ministries to obtain information. Of these, 19 ministries responded, while 14 did not provide any information. Among the responses, only nine ministries (27pc) provided requested information within the stipulated 10 working days. However, 10 ministries (30pc) provided information after the legally-required timeframe. Remaining 14 ministries have yet to provide information. Ministries, such as Climate Change, Commerce and Defence Production, were among the group that responded promptly within the timeframe. Ministries, including Finance and Revenue, Interior and Railways, were among those that did not provide any response.