Implementation status of proactive disclosure of information: A comparative study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Right to Information regime is considered a strong commitment towards good governance. This commitment supports fairness in laws, rules and regulations. In Pakistan, the best RTI laws are of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; hence KP RTI Act 2013 and Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013 have taken as a case for this paper. This paper aims to analyze how far certain Right to Information laws remained successful in terms of proactive disclosure of information and institutional measures. Categorically two dimensions are examined (a) proactive disclosure of information by the public bodies and (b) Institutional Measures under clause 5 and 4 of Right to Information laws in both provinces respectively. Based on desk review and telephonic discussion a comparative assessment has taken randomly selected departments such as Elementary and Secondary Education, Health and Local Government Department. Comparatively, in Punjab public bodies are more actively engage with respect to proactive disclosure of information. As per provisions of RTI laws, complete information is not available on sampled websites of public bodies that deviating international best practices. This paper highlights the necessary measures to be considered by decision-makers and provides way to improve regime of RTI laws in Pakistan.