LAHORE: The Punjab Information Commission (PIC) has dismissed right to information (RTI) complaints seeking details of expenditures at the Chief Minister’s House and the use of Punjab government’s official helicopter during the tenures of former and incumbent chief ministers, citing the applicant’s failure to provide proof of citizenship.
According to documents obtained by The News, RTI activist Saadia Mazhar had submitted two separate applications to the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) under the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013. The requests sought comprehensive information on spending incurred at the CM House and the use of the government helicopter during the administrations of former chief ministers Usman Buzdar and Hamza Shehbaz, caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi and the current chief minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
In her first application, Ms Mazhar sought details of total expenditures on renovation, repair and maintenance of the CM House from August 20, 2018 to date, broken down by each chief minister’s tenure. She requested information on the nature of major works undertaken, their costs, and the names of companies, contractors or vendors involved.
The second application sought year-wise data on the official helicopter’s usage, including the total number of sorties, fuel costs, expenditures on repair and maintenance, and details of operational arrangements. The request also asked for information on the number of pilots, engineering staff, ground crew and other personnel deployed for the helicopter’s operation and technical upkeep during each tenure.
Ms Mazhar maintained that the information sought was directly linked to public interest and was required to be disclosed within the statutory timeframe. After the department did not provide the information, she approached the PIC with formal complaints.
In separate rulings on the two complaints, the commission declared them non-maintainable. The PIC held that under Section 2(a) of the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013, the right to seek information is vested exclusively in Pakistani citizens, making proof of citizenship mandatory.
The commission noted that Ms Mazhar was asked to submit a copy of her national identity card under the applicable rules. However, she declined to share the document, citing concerns over personal data protection, and instead provided only her CNIC number. The PIC ruled that this was insufficient to establish citizenship.
“The burden of proving citizenship rests with the applicant and cannot be shifted to the commission or the concerned public body,” the rulings stated, adding that until citizenship is formally established, the relevant department is under no legal obligation to disclose the requested information. The complaints were therefore dismissed.
