On September 27, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to ensuring citizens’ right to accurate, timely and reliable information on the International Day for Universal Access to Information.

President Zardari highlighted constitutional protections for freedom of expression and the right to information under Article 19-A, introduced through the 18th Constitutional Amendment, as well as the federal Right of Access to Information Act 2017. He noted that digital platforms and artificial intelligence have made it increasingly difficult to distinguish reliable information from manipulated or misleading content.

He stressed the role of journalists and media organisations in helping the public navigate the evolving information environment and called for protecting the right to know without restricting legitimate journalism or public debate.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif affirmed the government’s ongoing efforts to promote transparency and enhance communication between public institutions and the populace and digitise records to enhance public access to information.

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif called attention to the Punjab government’s initiatives to provide easy access to information through modern technologies, asserting that transparency and accountability are pivotal to effective governance and public trust. Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Syed Muhammad Nehal Hashmi highlighted the role of media literacy in helping the public identify and reject false information.

Meanwhile, at an awareness seminar at Islamia College University Peshawar, Syed Nazar Hussain Shah, Chief Information Commissioner of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission, spoke about the provincial Right to Information Act. He detailed how it empowers citizens to inquire into the financial and administrative dealings of government institutions, thus promoting transparency and accountability.

Pakistan Peoples Party Central Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan also called access to information essential for transparency, accountability and public participation. He said state institutions were responsible for providing accurate and timely information and stressed the need for responsible communication and verification in the social media era.