LAHORE: Participants at a briefing session on ‘Effective Right to Information’ Thursday asked the Punjab government to appoint information commissioners, whose posts had been vacant since March 2017 and facilitate more effective usage of RTI across Punjab by citizens. The session was part of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT)’s project titled ‘Enhancing Empowerment of Women and Minorities of South Punjab through Effective use of RTI Law’. The session and was organized by PILDAT in collaboration with the Punjab Information Commission (PIC). The session and was attended by 90 participants, including Local Government representatives, women, representatives of non-Muslim minority rights organizations and civil society organisations working to promote citizens’ rights, peace and tolerance and media representatives. Earlier, PILDAT Joint Director Aasiya Riaz said that the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act (PTRTIA) 2013 was an important landmark in the quest for transparency and accountability of the public bodies. However, he said that the law had not been effectively utilised across Punjab. She said that PILDAT had continued to support the effective utilisation of right to information in Punjab, as in other provinces. Speaking on status of implementation of RTI law in Punjab, Punjab Information Commission (PIC) Deputy Director Naeem Malik said that the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013 was functional even though information commissioners posts were vacant. He said that the PIC had received 4,000 applications, all of which, except 400, were resolved. Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) information commissioner Prof Kalim Ullah said that India has ahad the strongest track record in leading and implementing RTI legislation. It was shared that the PILDAT should propose an amendment to Punjab RTI law that should ensure that sitting information commissioners should continue their posts until new information commissioners are appointed by the government. “This would ensure that information commissioners’ posts are never vacant in the Punjab Information Commission at any time.” It was also stressed that all media houses should hold workshops on RTI for their staff to change the existing culture of sensationalism in the media to fact-based reporting and analysis. In the end, another speaker said that every forum must be used to demand that information commissioners are appointed forthwith in Punjab. Published in Daily Times, April 13th 2018.