RTI Request Filed in April 2025. Complaint Filed in June 2025. More Than a Year Later, Still No Information.

musarrat ullah jan -

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan , kikxNow , Digital Creator

The Right to Information (RTI) Act guarantees citizens timely access to public information. But what happens when a public authority simply does not respond?

On 7 April 2025, a journalist submitted an RTI request to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) seeking information related to former employees of the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) who are now serving in KPCTA.

The request sought public records including:

• A list of all former TCKP employees currently working in KPCTA, along with copies of their final academic qualifications and degrees.

• Details of the degree verification process, including the agencies responsible for verification, verification reports, and whether any discrepancies were identified.

• Copies of the regulations approved in principle by the Chairman of the KPCTA Board of Directors, along with amendments, dates of approval, and relevant Board meetings.

• Recruitment procedures followed for former TCKP employees absorbed into KPCTA.

• Internal audit and oversight reports from the past two years concerning recruitment, qualifications, and degree verification.

• Information regarding public consultations and stakeholder meetings held during the reorganisation of TCKP and its integration into KPCTA.

When no information was provided within the timeframe prescribed under the RTI Act, a complaint was filed before the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Commission in June 2025. The case was registered as Complaint No. 12539.

More than one year later, the complaint remains pending, and the requested information has still not been provided.

This raises serious questions:

• Why was the RTI request not answered within the statutory period?

• Why has Complaint No. 12539 remained pending for more than a year?

• Why should citizens and journalists have to wait indefinitely for access to public records relating to recruitment, qualifications, and governance of a public authority?

• Does such prolonged delay undermine the purpose of the Right to Information Act and the principles of transparency and accountability?

The RTI Act was enacted to promote openness and public oversight, not to leave lawful requests unanswered for years.

A delayed response weakens public trust. An unresolved RTI complaint for over a year raises legitimate concerns about transparency, accountability, and compliance with the law.

#RTI #RightToInformation #Transparency #Accountability #KP #KhyberPakhtunkhwa #KPCTA #TCKP #OpenGovernment #PublicInformation #RightToKnow #InvestigativeJournalism #MediaFreedom #GoodGovernance #PublicAccountability #Pakistan

 

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