Pakistan- PDA PIO fined Rs15,000 for not providing information

(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission (RTI) on Tuesday imposed a Rs15,000 fine on an officer of the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) for denying information to a citizen.

As per the background of the complaint/request of Gul Marjan, who filed a request and sought attested copies of the documents of plot situated near Civic Center Phase II, Hayatabad Peshawar, his request was not honoured by Deputy Director, Information Technology, Syed Khalid Amin Shah, who is also the Public Information Officer (PIO), as per the timeline set out in Section 11 of the KP RTI Act 2013.

The complainant filed a complaint under Section 23 (1) of the RTI Act 2013 to the KPIC against the public information officer. The Commission directed the public information officer to provide the requested record, but the same turned out in futility, says a press release.

Subsequently, the Commission further directed the public information officer to appear before the Commission for explanation on February 02, 2020, but the officer did not bother to turn up and explain the factual position as to why the information was not provided even beyond the timeline laid down in the KP RTI Law.

Despite repeated directions of the Commission, another opportunity was given to him to appear before the Commission on September 01, but was of no avail, the statement of KP Information Commission said.

Resultantly, during the proceedings, a show-cause notice was served on the said public information officer on September 09 with the directions to show the cause as to why action should not be initiated against him under Section 26(3)(b) of the KP RTI Act 2013. His response to the show-cause notice was found unsatisfactory and void of facts.

The Commission in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 26 (3)(b) of the RTI law imposed a fine of Rs15,000 on Deputy Director Information Technology PDA for his non-compliance of the mandatory provision KP RTI Act 2013.

The KP Information Commission further directed the public body to provide the requested information to the complainant within 10 days even after the payment of fine, failing which proceedings would be initiated against it.

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