CRTI demands extension of RTI to FATA residents

PESHAWAR: Coalition on Right to Information (CRTI) has demanded the federal government to immediately remove the constitutional anomaly so that FATA residents can exercise right to information held by federal public bodies operating in FATA.

Similarly, CRTI also urged the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to liaison with the federal government to bring about desired constitutional amendments and legislative reforms to protect and promote right to information of FATA residents.

In a statement here on Monday, the CRTI said regretted that right to information legal regime both at provincial and federal level does not extend to residents of Federally Administered Tribal Areas, (FATA). It pointed out that this right has also been accorded status of fundamental right and given constitutional protection through the insertion of Article 19-A into the Constitution through 18th Amendment.

It pointed out that successive governments have not carried out constitutional reforms and as a result Article 247 that governs FATA contradicts Article 19-A of the constitution. It regretted that even the right to information bill that remained under consideration with Senate Committee on Information and Broadcasting does not include FATA in its jurisdiction and neither the committee recommended to the federal government to fix this constitutional anomaly.

– See more at: http://www.lhrtimes.com/2013/12/09/crti-demands-extension-of-rti-to-fata-residents-215014/#sthash.Y9Vj2VTR.dpuf

The Lahore Times

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