Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) granted a week to Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Excise and Taxation department with directives to provide information to an applicant, seeking details over confiscated Non-Custom Paid (NCP) vehicles since 2020 amid officials detail who are using these automobiles.
The Right of Access to Information Act 2017 promotes transparency and efficiency of public bodies under the sense of accountability in case there is misuse of power. However, some public bodies are still at large, one of them is Excise and Taxation department of the ICT where people at the helm of affairs are not ready to take ownership of the Act.
Consequently, a two-member panel of the PIC comprising Chief Information Commissioner Mohammad Azam and Information Commissioner Zahid Abdullah recently granted a week to ICT’s Excise and Taxation department to provide required information to an information seeker Nadeem Umer.
The factual story revealed that in May 25, 2022, an information seeker, Nadeem Umer has submitted an information request under the Right of Access to Information Act 2017 to Directorate of the ICT Excise and Taxation.
Umer has filed application before the ICT’ Excise and Taxation office, seeking details of the NCP vehicles, confiscated from January 2020 till filing of the application along with the details of the make, model and places name from where vehicles were seized.
He also requested to provide information categorically list of the NCP vehicles including description in term of make, official name and designation who are using the same, department of the officer using the vehicle/s, date from which the vehicle is provided to official department. Umer also requested to provide list of the NCP vehicles which have been requisitioned by the Excise Office to the Chief Commissioner ICT, Deputy Commissioner ICT, and other offices of the ICT.
Upon reluctance of the public body in providing the required information, the information seeker invoked jurisdiction of the PIC filing appeal against the Excise and Taxation office ICT on June 16,2022 in the matter.
Taking up the matter, a two- member panel of the PIC comprising Chief Information Commissioner Mohammad Azam and Information Commissioner Zahid Abdullah issued notice to director of the Excise and Taxation ICT on July 04,2022 saying under Section 14 of the Right of Access to Information Act 2017, each federal public body is bound to respond to a request as soon as possible and in any case within ten working days of receipt of the request.
After enclosing copy of the application of the information seeker for required information in the matter, the PIC issued directives to the respondent (director of the Excise and Taxation ICT) to provide reasons in writing within 07 working days of the receipt of the notice as to why the requested information has not been provided to the applicant.
The PIC fixed information seeker’s appeal for hearing on August 23, 2022 as both the parties were informed through notices on August 02, 2022. However, no one appeared before the Commission to represent the respondent in the hearing held on August 23, 2022.
Providing another opportunity to the director Excise and Taxation ICT, the PIC fixed hearing of the matter on September 13, 2022 and September 27, 2022 respectively. To which one Mr. Asif Jahangir Khan, Inspector, Directorate of Excise and Taxation appeared and sought time to provide requested information in the matter. However, no one from Excise and Taxation Department ICT appeared before the Commission to represent and submit response in the hearing on October 04, 2022.
After providing ample opportunity to director of the ICT Excise and Taxation department, the PIC allowed appeal of the information seeker, issuing directives to the director of the Excise and Taxation is directed to provide the required information at the earliest but not later than 07 working days.
The PIC also asked to the director of the ICT Excise and Taxation department to notify Public Information Officer, (PIO) and upload his contact details on the department’s web site and submit compliance report to the commission within 10 working days.
