LAHORE: The Punjab Information Commission (PIC) has sparked controversy by rejecting a Right to Information (RTI) complaint seeking details on the implementation of a landmark Lahore High Court judgment aimed at reforming the Nikahnama, which is an official marriage contract. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from civil society, which accused the commission of undermining transparency, delaying access to public information and misapplying the law.
The complaint, filed by Kashif Shahzad under Section 15 of the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013, was directed against the Secretary of the Local Government and Community Development Department. Shahzad alleged that the department failed to provide the requested information within the statutory timeframe, forcing him to approach the commission.
In its March 26, 2026 order, the PIC, through Information Commissioner Bushra Saqib and Chief Information Commissioner Muhammad Maalik Bhulla, rejected the complaint. The commission ruled that the RTI request did not meet the legal requirements under Section 10 of the Act, noting that the queries were framed to determine whether the department had complied with a judicial decision, rather than to access specific records maintained by the department.
Civil society reacted sharply to the PIC ruling. Abdullah Malik, President of Civil Society Networks Pakistan, described the decision as a “blatant misapplication” of Section 10 of the RTI Act. He argued that a query asking whether a department has implemented court directions is purely informational and does not compel action and therefore falls squarely within citizens’ right to access information.
