Bannu Sports Complex Shop Records: RTI Request Unanswered for More Than a Year, Complaint Also Pending

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator

PESHAWAR: A Right to Information (RTI) request seeking records about shops operating at the Bannu Sports Complex, including their allotment, rents and revenue generated for the government, has remained unanswered beyond the statutory response period.

According to the applicant, the RTI request was submitted on July 14, 2025, to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate under the KP Right to Information Act, 2013.

The request sought a complete list of shops at the Bannu Sports Complex, details of their allotment dates and procedures, applicable rules and regulations, current rents, tenancy periods and information about the tenants.

The applicant also sought details of shops newly allotted during 2023, 2024 and 2025, including shop numbers or locations, allotment dates, rent and tenancy periods. The request further asked whether any complaints regarding irregularities or allegedly unlawful procedures in the allotment of shops had been received and, if so, for details of such complaints.

Information regarding the total rent collected from these shops during the previous three years was also requested.

Under the KP RTI framework, a PIO is generally required to respond to an information request within 10 working days. According to the applicant, however, the requested information was not provided within the prescribed period.

The applicant subsequently approached the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission in October 2025, where the matter was registered as Complaint No. 13081. According to the applicant, the information has still not been provided and the matter remains unresolved.

The delay raises questions because the KP RTI law gives the Information Commission the authority to take action where an official has willfully obstructed or delayed an activity required under the law. In such circumstances, the Commission can impose a penalty of up to Rs.250 per day, subject to a maximum of Rs.25,000, after considering the applicable legal requirements and the conduct of the official concerned.

The penalty is not automatic merely because a response was delayed. A finding regarding willful obstruction or delay and the relevant circumstances would be required before such a penalty could be imposed.

The law also provides that the Information Commission should decide a complaint within 60 days. If Complaint No. 13081 was filed in October 2025 and no final decision has been issued since then, the delay in deciding the complaint itself raises a separate question requiring clarification.

The key questions in the case are therefore: Why was the July 14, 2025 RTI request not answered within the prescribed period? Was any lawful extension sought? Was a written decision issued to the applicant? What action has the Information Commission taken on Complaint No. 13081? And has the Commission considered whether the circumstances warrant action under the penalty provisions of the RTI law?

The matter concerns shops located within a government sports facility, making their allotment, rental income and related records a matter of potential public interest. However, no allegation of illegal allotment or deliberate withholding of information should be treated as established unless supported by official records or a finding by the competent authority.

The Sports Directorate and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission may therefore be asked to provide their respective positions and records concerning the RTI application and Complaint No. 13081, so that the matter can be assessed on the basis of documented facts.

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