ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) has ordered the National Assembly Secretariat to provide details of lawyers hired by it, payments made to them and court cases handled on its behalf, while accepting an appeal filed under the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017.
The order was issued on July 16, 2026, in an appeal filed by journalist Saddia Mazhar against the National Assembly Secretariat.
According to the Commission’s order, Ms Mazhar had submitted an information request on April 17, 2026, seeking five categories of records. She asked for a year-wise list of lawyers, advocates, law firms and legal consultants engaged by the National Assembly Secretariat from January 2022 onwards, along with a year-wise breakdown of payments made to each of them.
The applicant also sought particulars of all cases filed by the National Assembly Secretariat before different courts since January 2022, including case numbers, case titles and the names of the courts concerned.
She further requested details of payments made to lawyers engaged for filing Writ Petition No. 2553/2023 and Writ Petition No. 2554/2023 before the Islamabad High Court.
During the proceedings, the National Assembly Secretariat took the position that the information sought was privileged in view of the Speaker’s Ruling dated October 4, 2024. It also argued that the record was protected as privileged communication under the Qanoon-e-Shahadat Order, 1984.
After reviewing the request, the Secretariat’s reply and the relevant legal provisions, the Commission rejected the objections. It held that the information sought was a public record and was not covered by any exemption under the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017.
The Commission observed that the Speaker’s ruling did not declare information concerning payments made to lawyers as privileged. It also found that the provisions of the Qanoon-e-Shahadat Order, 1984, did not apply to the information requested by the applicant.
Referring to the purpose of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, the Commission noted that the law aims to advance transparency, accountability, public participation, good governance and wider access to information held by public bodies.
Allowing the appeal, the PIC directed the Secretary, National Assembly Secretariat, to furnish the requested information to both the applicant and the Commission within 10 days.
