ISLAMABAD: The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has called for urgent legal and institutional reforms to address structural and implementation gaps in the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act (STRIA) 2016.
In a policy brief titled “Closing the Information Gap: The Case for Reforming the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2016”, Fafen urged the Sindh Assembly, the Sindh Information Commission, and the provincial government to work collaboratively to transform the law’s promise of transparency into effective practice. The policy brief is part of Fafen’s “Countering Disinformation through Reliable Government Information” campaign.
As Pakistan continues to face the rapid spread of misinformation that fuels political polarisation, strengthening RTI frameworks remains essential for restoring public trust and ensuring equitable access to verified information. Despite being grounded in constitutional guarantees under Article 19A, the STRIA’s implementation remains weak.
The Fafen’s 2025 assessment of 61 public bodies in Sindh found that, on an average, public bodies comply with only 54 per cent of the law’s proactive disclosure requirements. The policy brief identifies key structural and operational weaknesses that contribute to this compliance gap. These include vague definitions that allow arbitrary interpretation of legal obligations, absence of mandatory compliance reporting by public bodies, and limited digitalisation of RTI processes, including complaint handling and request tracking.
The Act also does not prescribe standardised formats for information management and disclosure, resulting in inconsistent and often unusable information across public bodies. Additionally, insufficient safeguards for the independence and financial autonomy of the Sindh Information Commission, coupled with the absence of strategic planning requirements, constrain its effectiveness as an oversight body.
To address these gaps, Fafen recommends targeted amendments to the STRIA. These include clarifying key definitions to expand the scope of the law, mandating annual compliance reporting by public bodies, and introducing whistleblower protections to strengthen internal accountability. The brief also calls for reforms to ensure a transparent and consultative process for the appointment of Information Commissioners, enhanced financial autonomy through a dedicated fund, and stronger legal powers for the Commission to conduct inspections and issue binding directives.
Stressing the role of technology, Fafen recommends the introduction of digital systems for submission and tracking of RTI requests and complaints, along with automated applicant notifications. It also proposes the development of standardised disclosure formats tailored to different categories of public bodies to improve consistency, usability, and comparability of information.
