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March 17: Regional Conference on Right
to Information in South Asia, titled Understanding the Silent Revolution,
concluded today with delegates from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and
Nepal urging their governments to ensure widespread public awareness and effective
implementation of RTI in the region.
Delegates from five countries were hosted at
the two-day Regional Conference on RTI in South Asia, which was organised to
enhance experience sharing and regional cooperation between leaders of various
RTI movements in South Asia. Ms. Aruna Roy, Founder, Mazdoor
Kisan Shakti Sangathan, India, Mr. Nikhil Dey, Founder, Mazdoor
Kisan Shakti Sangathan, Professor Jagdeep S. Chhokar, Founder,
Association for Democratic Reform and Mr. Wajahat HabibUllah Former
Chief Information Commissioner, Central Information Commission
are representing India. Dr. Jayampathe Wickramarthne, President’s
Council, Member of Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka
and Mr. Luwie Ganeshthasan, Researcher ,Centre
for Policy Alternatives (CPA) are representing Sri Lanka. Nepal is being represented
by Mr. Krishna Hari Baskota, Chief Information Commissioner,
National Information Commission, Mr. Tanka Raj Aryal, Executive
Director, Citizen’s Campaign for Right to Information,
and Mr. Taranath Dahal, Chairman Freedom Forum, Nepal. Bangladesh
is represented by Ms. Ruhi Naz, Project Coordinator, Research
Initiatives, Bangladesh and Ms. Tahmina Rehman, Regional Director,
Article 19, South Asia.
Speaking on Opening Parliament to Citizens
through RTI, Panel Chair, Ms. Aruna Roy, Founder Mazdoor
Kisan Shakti Sangathan, New Delhi, said that the link between legislators and
the common people is central to a democracy. “Opening the activities of
institutions such as Parliament as well as the performance of legislators themselves
is a prerequisite to a modern democracy,” she said. Mr. Inayatullah
Lak, Director General Parliamentary Affairs, Provincial Assembly of
Punjab, apprised the participants of the measures that the Assembly Secretariat
is taking to proactively disclose the activities of the provincial legislature,
such as attendance of legislators, rules notified and video reports of the Assembly
proceedings through their official website. Representing the Senate Secretariat,
Ms. Rabeea Anwar, Joint Secretary Legislation, Senate of Pakistan
said that in addition to the attendance of Senators, the attendance records
of the Standing Committees of the Senate are also being proactively disclosed
on the Senate website.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Krishna Hari
Baskota, Chief Information Commissioner of Nepal spoke on the initiatives
being taken by the National Information Commission of Nepal including a system
of RTI audits. Mr. Wajahat Habibullah, Former Chief Information
Commissioner, Central Information Commissioner of India, cited the example of
extending the RTI Act in Kashmir, which came about through the efforts of civil
society in 2009. He was of the view that extending the Act would strengthen
the security of the state as citizens would be more likely to cooperate with
the government.
Chief Information Commissioners, Sahibzada
Muhamad Khalid from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Mr. Mazhar Hussain
Minhas from Punjab, were co-hosts alongside PILDAT at the Conference.
The Regional Conference on RTI has been organised
by PILDAT, in collaboration with the Punjab Information Commission and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Commission under the More Effective Right-To-Information
at Federal and Provincial (Sindh and Punjab) levels project, for
which it has received financial support from the Development Alternatives Inc.
(DAI) under the Enhanced Democratic Accountability and Civic Engagement
project.
Further Information
Office: (051) 111 123 345
Mob: 92 334 6725475
Email: info@pildat.org; ahmad.durrani@pildat.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KnowMyGovPK
Twitter: @Pildat @KnowMyGovPK
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![](events\16-03-17\img\02.jpg)
From Left to Right: Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President PILDAT, Ms. Aruna Roy, Founder, Mazdoor Kisan Sakti Sangathan, Mr. Inayatullah Lak, DG Parliamentary Affairs, Punjab Assembly, Sahibzada Muhammad Khalid, Chief Information Commisioner, KP RTI Commission |
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