The Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) ruled that the National Assembly speaker’s classification of certain records cannot restrict citizens’ right to information unless the ruling reasons that the potential harm from disclosure is shown to outweigh the public interest.

The ruling came on appeals filed by journalist Saddia Mazhar seeking information about officers transferred to the National Assembly Secretariat on deputation since January 2018, including their parent departments, grades, appointment dates and promotions as well as their induction into the secretariat.

The National Assembly Secretariat withheld this information, citing a classification under a speaker’s ruling dated October 4, 2022. However, the PIC found that the classification did not meet the requirements of Section 7(f) of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017.

The commission also rejected the Secretariat’s objections regarding non-provision of a copy of Mazhar’s CNIC and her absence in person, terming them both grounds as legally unsustainable.

The PIC directed the National Assembly deputy secretary or the designated officer to provide Mazhar with the link of the requested information on the secretariat’s website and certified copies of relevant remaining records within 10 days of receiving the order, reinforcing the precedence of the RTI Act over inconsistent provisions in other laws.