Pakistan Information Commission Thursday issued directives to executive officer of the cantonment board Nowshera to provide details to an information seeker about Temples, Gurdwaras and Churches located within the board’s jurisdiction.
Constitutional right to information is a tool of good governance which generates transparency and accountability across the board to promote equity and equality for societal development. The Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) is the appropriate forum to get this fundamental right implemented in matters of public importance.
Information Commissioner of the PIC Zahid Abdullah issued the directives to the Board after hearing appeal of a local citizen of Nowshera Farhat Shah who has made Cantonment Board Nowshera as respondent in the matter saying he had submitted information requests to cantonment board office Nowshera on March 09, 2021 under the Right of Access to Information Act 2017.
Shah has requested the cantonment board officer Nowshera to provide him information over the total number of temples, Gurdwaras and churches, names and locations of all places of worship located in the jurisdiction of Cantonment Board, Nowshera. He also sought information relating to places of worship of the minorities in the jurisdiction of cantonment board, Nowshera that were constructed before and after partition amid names and location of these places of worship.
Information seeker also requested the cantonment board officer to provide details of minority places of worship that do not exist at present; either because they have been demolished, reasons for their demolition and under which law or court order these places of worship were demolished.
Shah has also sought information about places of worship that have been replaced with commercial plots, commercial plaza or a house.
He requested the Board to provide information asking under which law or notification such houses or commercial plazas have been built? He also requested for provision of details including location of all such houses and commercial plazas.
“Information and location of land/commercial plots, houses and places of worship belonging to Okaaf situated in the jurisdiction of Cantonment Board, Nowshera… Information and location of land/commercial plots, houses and places of worship belonging to MEO situated in the jurisdiction of Cantonment Board, Nowshera”, according to the PIC order the information seeker requested for such details.
The appellant said there are commercial plazas built on the places of worship in the jurisdiction of Cantonment Board Nowshera as property number 759 survey number 269/227, property number 812, 13 survey number 269/70 reveal. He sought information from the Board that under what court order or notification these commercial plazas have been built?.
Information seeker also requested the Board to provide him information about advertisements issued to newspapers and TV channels from 2011 to 2021, name of the newspaper, advertisement and what was the advertisement about.
