Newsletter 101

A newsletter containing news

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A newsletter containing news, views, articles, investigative stories in the field of

Right to Information

From

Around the World

Issue No: 101

E - Alert

Issue Date: 05-05-2015

 

 

Editorial:

Greetings from Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives, (CPDI).

The statement came out of nowhere leaving us pleasantly surprised and our perception about politicians suffering from selective amnesia further reinforced. First, the statement. On World Press Freedom Day, former president Asif Ali Zardari said:  “The fact that the RTI legislation had been finalised by the Senate committee almost a year ago but the government, despite promises, has not tabled it in parliament raises serious questions about the intent and motives of the government.”

Taken on its face value, this statement seems to be contributing to the demand for the enactment of effective right to information law repealing FOIO 2002. Leader of country’s major political party championing the cause of transparency. What else can you ask for? After all, this is what CPDI and other civil society groups have been demanding as PMLN has continuously dragged its feet on this issue.  

However, it is when we see this statement in the context of developments pertaining to right to information legislation in the country that our enthusiasm dampens a bit. Furthermore, the failure of Mr. Zardari to dwell upon the lack of development on the repeal of Sindh Freedom of Information Act 2006 is too glaring an omission to go unnoticed. The following timeline depicting not-so-flattering trail of broken promises pertaining to legislation on right to information left behind by PPP after its tenure from 2008 to 2013 juxtaposed with Mr. Zardari’s recent statement and the feed-dragging of PMLN on this issue confirms what is already widely known-both these parties do not walk the talk and that civil society groups will have to mount pressure on politicians to arrest this trend.

May 14, 2006-Pakistan People’s Party and PML-N commit in Charter of Democracy that ‘access to information will become law after parliamentary debate and public scrutiny’.

March 29, 2008-Yousaf Raza Gillani pledges in his address to Parliament soon after being nominated as Prime Minister that a new freedom of information law will be brought to promote press freedom.

September 20, 2008-President Asif Ali Zardari, while addressing the joint session of the Parliament states that “We will soon be bringing other fundamental laws such as freedom of information bill…”

November 21, 2008-As Federal Information Minister, Ms Sherry Rehman states “Freedom of Information bill would shortly be tabled in the parliament after incorporating views of the provincial governments in it”.

 

Happy reading,

CPDI

 

Pakistan

PPP calls for adoption of right to information bill

DAWN.com

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has called for early adoption of the Right to Information (RTI) Bill that has been lying in limbo since...

 

UK

'Racism rising' on Britain's railways, Freedom of Information request finds

Metro

Figures obtained by the Press Association via a Freedom of Information request showed that the British Transport Police recorded a total of 1,468 ...

 

India

RTI reply points to bungling in sale of Army vehicles

Chandigarh Tribune

Replies received under the Right to Information Act (RTI) to queries pertaining to certain financial transactions by the Directorate General of ...

 

Mexico

Mexican Congress expands reach of freedom-of-information law

U-T San Diego

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's Congress has approved freedom of information legislation that will allow public access to data from almost any entity ...

 

UK

BBC Favours Daily Mail Over The Guardian, Freedom Of Information Request Reveals

Huffington Post UK

The Daily Mail is known for slating the BBC as “Guardian-reading Lefties” but it's going to struggle to get round the findings of a recent Freedom of ...

 

UK

25 pregnant Navy sailors airlifted from ships

Telegraph.co.uk

The figures reported in The Sun were released under the Freedom of Information Act and follow the disclosure last year that 200 women were flown ...

 

India

The secrecy regime

The Hindu

A committee set up by the Union government to look into the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 (OSA) in light of the Right to Information Act, ...

 

USA

National Guard referred to Ferguson protesters as “enemy forces”

World Socialist Web Site

The documents were obtained by CNN through a Freedom of Information Act request. CNN reported Monday that “internal communications from as ...

 

India

PMO has no information on Modi's wardrobe, says a RTI reply

Hindustan Times

... information sought should be provided is not correct,” the Prime Minister's Office said in a reply to Right To Information application filed by Kumar.

 

USA

Federal agencies fail freedom of information test by Syracuse University

Syracuse.com

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security had the fastest response to requests for public information, in a study by researchers at the Transactional ...

 

UK

UK Government Belated FOI Transparency Lamented By The Man Who Pushed For It, 'Cash ...

Techdirt

The UK's Freedom of Information law was a long time coming. In contrast to the United States government, which (begrudgingly) (and only sort of) ...

 

Sri Lanka

Draft Bill on Right to Information gets Cabinet approval

The Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka

It was pledged that under the 100 days programme of the government the Draft Bill on Right to Information will be presented to the Parliament.

 

UK

Prince Charles 'black spider memos' may not be released for months

The Guardian

The Guardian challenged this use of the veto under the freedom of information act, and won at the supreme court. Lord Neuberger, the president of the ...

 

Australia

Risdon prison spends tens of thousands on nicotine patches and microwave ovens

ABC Online

Risdon prison has spent $40,000 on nicotine patches for inmates and nearly $1,500 replacing microwaves in the last three months, right to information...

 

India

Step-motherly treatment for non-clinical subjects

The Hindu

Despite the seriousness of the problem efforts to obtain details under the Right to Information elicited no response. The Directorate of Medical ...

 

Canada

1500 school bus crashes since 2010, but contractor info remains secret

Toronto Star

... is the same one journalists often use to uncover government secrets: the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).

 

India

PM Modi's Wife Files Second RTI Appeal on Her Security Cover Issue

NDTV

... Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wife Jashodaben has filed a second appeal under the Right To Information or RTI Act seeking details on the matter.

 

Pakistan

Crossroads Of Despotism

The Nation

The PPP has rightly reminded the government of its promises to implement the Right to Information (RTI) Bill, and it is of utmost importance that the ...

 

India

'Cops Arbitrarily Closed 23pc FIRs in 3 Years'

The New Indian Express

Based on the data obtained through the Right To Information (RTI) Act, Evidence, the Madurai-based NGO working on Dalit issues, has claimed that ...

 

 

India

'Cops Arbitrarily Closed 23pc FIRs in 3 Years'

The New Indian Express

Based on the data obtained through the Right To Information (RTI) Act, Evidence, the Madurai-based NGO working on Dalit issues, has claimed that ...

 

UK

Kent police spent £1.2m on their PR budget in 2014/2015 a Freedom of Information request by the ...

Kent Online

Kent Police is the second highest spender out of county forces when it comes to their PR budget, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

 

Jamaica

New ATI Act to be tabled and passed this parliamentary year

Jamaica Gleaner (subscription)

She said an expert on international access to information/freedom of information law took the recommendations of the joint select committee, and ...

 

 

 

 

Transparency and Right to Information Program
-------------------------------------------- 
Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives, Pakistan (CPDI-Pakistan)
Tel: +92 (0) 51-2375158-9; 4319430
URL: 
www.cpdi-pakistan.org