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14 Months Later, Still No Information. Is This Transparency?

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , kikxNow , Digital Creator Transparency is tested not by public statements, but by how public institutions respond to lawful requests for information. On 5 January 2025 , a journalist submitted two Right to Information (RTI) applications to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) seeking information about: • Police and official vehicles, including their purchase, allocation, location, and fuel details. • Officials holding additional charges. • Procurement responsibilities. • Event management responsibilities and the officers assigned to them. Despite the legal obligation to respond within the timeframe prescribed under the RTI Act, no information was provided. As a result, on 5 April 2025 , the journalist filed a complaint before the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Commission . The complaint was registered as No. 12299 . More than 14 months later , the complaint remains pending , while the requested public informat...
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RTI Filed in April 2025. Department Responds in July 2026: "We Don't Have a PRO."

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , kikxNow , Digital Creator How committed is a public authority to transparency when it takes more than 14 months to answer a basic Right to Information (RTI) request? On 29 April 2025 , I submitted an RTI request to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) seeking records related to the appointment of its Public Relations Officer (PRO). The request sought public information, including the PRO's name, date of appointment, educational qualifications, copies of academic credentials, recruitment advertisement, number of applicants, interview dates, details of the selection committee, and certified copies of all relevant documents. Despite the statutory timeframe under the RTI law, no information was provided. The matter had to be taken before the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Commission . Finally, on 7 July 2026 , the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Culture and Tourism Department submitted a written reply before the...
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RTI Filed to Probe Lease Payments for KP Sports Land Used by Culture & Tourism Department

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator PESHAWAR: Fresh questions over transparency and financial accountability have emerged after a Right to Information (RTI) application was filed seeking official records on the use of land belonging to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Sports by the Culture and Tourism Department . The application, submitted under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act, 2013 , requests detailed information about the legal status of a building constructed by the Culture and Tourism Department on land owned by the Provincial Sports Directorate. The applicant has sought certified copies of approvals, No Objection Certificates (NOCs), agreements, notifications and other official documents authorising the construction of the building. The RTI also seeks copies of any lease agreement, licence or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) governing the use of the land. The application further demands disclosure of the annual lease amount, the co...
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KP Sports Department Vehicle and Fuel Records Case Still Pending Before KP RTI Commission After March 2025 Request

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator PESHAWAR: A Right to Information (RTI) case seeking official records on vehicle and fuel management within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Directorate General of Sports remains pending before the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Commission , months after the information request was filed in March 2025 . The application, submitted under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act, 2013 , requested official documents relating to Office Order No. DG/Sports/Admin/2023-24/1328-31 dated November 1, 2023 , through which administrative responsibility for the department's vehicle fleet and fuel cards was assigned to the Director Development. The applicant sought copies of complaints regarding blocked fuel and fleet cards, alleged irregularities in vehicle allocation, and internal correspondence concerning fleet management. The request also asked for a complete inventory of official vehicles, including registration numbers, fuel con...
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KP Sports Directorate Yet to Respond to RTI Request Filed in May 2025 on Inactive Provincial Sports Management Committee

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator PESHAWAR: More than a year after an application was submitted under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Sports Directorate has yet to provide information regarding the status and functioning of the Provincial Sports Management Committee, raising fresh concerns over transparency and implementation of the KP Sports Policy. The RTI application, submitted on 1 May 2025 to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Sports and Youth Affairs Department, sought official records relating to the Provincial Sports Management Committee , established through Notification No. SO(S)2-39/Sports Policy/2020 dated 26 August 2020 . The applicant requested copies of the committee's notification and Terms of Reference (TORs), details of all meetings held since its establishment, including dates, agendas and minutes, and records of actions taken under its assigned powers and responsibilities. The application also sought e...
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Who Owns the Game? The Legal Questions Behind KP's Sports Complex Leases

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator In Pakistan, sport is often defeated long before the whistle blows. Not by poor athletes. Not by a lack of talent. But by paperwork, legal ambiguity and an administrative culture that treats public documents as state secrets. The latest example is the provincial government's move to invite private operators to manage the Hayatabad Sports Complex and the Peshawar Sports Complex. On paper, it looks like another public-private partnership aimed at improving sports facilities. In reality, it raises a far more important question. Does the Directorate of Sports have the legal authority to sublease assets built on land it does not own? That question deserves a documented answer, not a press statement. The Hayatabad Sports Complex stands on land owned by the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA). The Peshawar Sports Complex, also known as Qayyum Sports Complex, is located on land belonging to the Cantonment Board. In both cases, t...
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1,000 Sports Facilities Project: A Multi-Billion Rupee Scheme Completed, But Questions Remain Unanswered

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan ,KikxNow , Digital  Creator Over the past several years, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has launched a number of ambitious development projects aimed at promoting sports across the province. Among the most significant was the "Development of Various Playing Facilities and Repair of Existing Sports Facilities" project, widely known as the 1,000 Sports Facilities Project . The initiative was designed to extend basic sports infrastructure to remote districts, construct new playgrounds, rehabilitate existing facilities and provide young people with better opportunities to participate in sports at the grassroots level. The government presented it as a flagship investment in strengthening the province's sporting infrastructure. According to official records, the project was formally completed and closed in June 2026 . Yet, despite its official completion, the controversy surrounding the project has not ended. The unanswered questions stem largely ...
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Hayatabad Sports Complex Earned Rs. 18 Million in Six Months While 168 Individuals Allegedly Enjoyed Free Access

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  Sources claim charging exempt users could generate millions more annually as KP government weighs outsourcing the facility Musarrat Ullah Jan ,KikxNow , Digital   Creator PESHAWAR: Hayatabad Sports Complex, one of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's largest public sports facilities, generated approximately Rs. 18 million (Rs. 1.8 crore) over the past six months through memberships, registrations and sports-related user fees. During the same period, around Rs. 6 million (Rs. 60 lakh) was reportedly spent on maintenance and repair works. According to sources, after deducting maintenance expenses, the remaining revenue was deposited into the official account of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Sports . The complex offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, cricket and football grounds, badminton courts, table tennis, a gymnasium and other recreational services. Hundreds of people use these facilities every day. However, documents and sources reviewed by th...
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KP Wushu Association President Rehmat Gul Afridi Slams Proposed Outsourcing of Sports Complexes, Urges Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to Reverse Decision

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan ,KikxNow , Digital  Creator PESHAWAR: KP Wushu Association President Rehmat Gul Afridi has strongly criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government's proposed outsourcing of the Peshawar and Hayatabad Sports Complexes, calling the move "unfortunate" and warning that it could further damage the province's already struggling sports sector. Afridi advised his fellow tribesman, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi , to reconsider the proposed outsourcing plan before its implementation. He urged the Chief Minister to consult sports associations, clubs, athletes and other stakeholders rather than making what he described as a unilateral decision. Speaking in Peshawar, Rehmat Gul Afridi said it was disappointing that the government had moved ahead with such a significant policy without first taking the sports community into confidence. He argued that decisions affecting the future of sports should be made through consultation, not in isol...
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"Tennis in KP is Being Left to Survive on Personal Resources": KP Tennis Association Senior Vice President Umar Ayaz Khalil Raises Alarm Over Funding, Infrastructure and Outsourcing

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan ,KikxNow , Digital  Creator PESHAWAR: Senior Vice President of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tennis Association Umar Ayaz Khalil has claimed that the provincial sports sector has neglected tennis for years, alleging that the Directorate of Sports has provided no financial support for the game over the past five to six years, forcing him to organise tournaments from his own pocket to keep the sport alive. Speaking about the state of tennis in the province, Khalil painted a bleak picture of shrinking infrastructure, rising costs and what he described as policy failures that continue to hold back talented players. He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa effectively has only one playable public tennis facility in Peshawar's Shahi Bagh, while the tennis courts at the Peshawar Sports Complex have an excessively fast surface that, according to him, is unsuitable for player development and increases the risk of injuries. "In a standard synthetic court, a player may compete fo...
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