The National Assembly Secretariat paid more than Rs 35 million to private lawyers between 2022 and 2026 to handle cases related to Right to Information (RTI) requests, according to information released following a Pakistan Information Commission order.

In fiscal year 2022-23, the Secretariat recorded its highest annual legal expenditure: Rs 20.4 million paid to eight lawyers. Subsequent payments were Rs 2.64 million in 2023-24, Rs 11.1 million in 2024-25, and Rs 1.61 million in 2025-26.

The details emerged following an appeal filed by journalist Saddia Mazhar, who demanded transparency under the RTI Act.

The Secretariat enlisted 10 special counsel starting January 2022 to represent it in RTI-related legal challenges. These included Hafiz S.A. Rehman, Irfan Qadir, Ilyas Siddiqui, Arfat Ahmed Chaudhary, Amaad Nasir Kundi, Lamia Niazi, Sanaullah, Ahsan Bhoon, Anwar Mughal, and Farhad Ali Khan Durrani.

Advocate Ahsan Bhoon received the highest individual payment of Rs 9.9 million during this period. The records indicate that litigation stemmed from RTI appeals where the Pakistan Information Commission had issued show-cause notices to the NA Secretariat’s secretary. The matters were challenged before the Islamabad High Court and later remanded to the Commission.

National Assembly Media Wing Director General Zafar Sultan confirmed the appointments, stating they were made during the previous PTI government and that no new private counsel had been hired under the current administration.

The Secretariat filed 14 related cases, most of them in 2023, with one each in 2024 and 2025 and none in 2022 or 2026.