ISLAMABAD, (MILLAT/APP): The Senate’s Select Committee on
Right to Information (RTI) Bill 2016 on Tuesday unanimously decided
to drop the clause for “whistleblowers” from the bill.
The meeting chaired by Farhatullah Babar thoroughly discussed
the advantages and disadvantages of the clause and then reached the conclusion that there was no need to add this clause to the bill.
Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National
Heritage (IBNH) Marriyum Aurangzeb opined that there was no need
of this clause as punishment for wilful destruction of record was
part of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
She apprehended that as there was no punishment proposed
under the clause for accusing someone of destroying record
without proof, some people could misuse the law.
Senator Pervaiz Rashid said that the Information Commission
would be fully powered and have authority to take action against
officials involved in such illegal activities. He feared that
such a clause would prove a distraction and ruin the benefits of
the bill.
Senator Rubina Khalid said that the clause of whistleblowers
should not be made part of the bill as it might be misused for
settling personal scores by certain people.
An official from Ministry of Law and Justice informed the
committee that clauses for awarding punishment for wilful
destruction of record were already part of the PPC.
At the conclusion Fahatullah Babar said as the minister had
pleaded her point of view very effectively and all members had
supported her opinion, the clause of whistle blower is dropped
from the RTI bill.
Senior officials from the ministries of IBNH and Law and
Justice were also present during the meeting.