Islamabad: Journalist Saadia Mazhar has withdrawn her appeal against Pakistan Television (PTV) before the Pakistan Information Commission, saying the move is a protest against the prolonged delay in implementation of the commission’s order.
Mazhar had filed a Right to Information (RTI) request in October 2024 seeking details about appointments made in PTV. According to her, the required information has not been provided despite the passage of nearly two years.
She has now formally asked that her appeal pending before the Pakistan Information Commission be withdrawn as a mark of protest.
Mazhar said the commission allowed her appeal after approximately one year, although under the law the matter was to be decided within 60 days. She said the commission had directed PTV to provide the requested information within 10 days.
According to Mazhar, the order was issued around September 2025, but despite the passage of almost another year, the information has still not been supplied.
The applicant said the case was repeatedly adjourned during this period and additional time was granted, yet no effective progress was made. She said the commission has legal powers to proceed in cases of non-compliance, but despite having such powers, it could not effectively enforce its own order.
Mazhar clarified that withdrawing the appeal does not mean she is abandoning her right to seek the requested information. She said the withdrawal is intended as a protest against the commission’s inability to ensure implementation of its own decision.
She further stated that she had received certain information which she currently considers off the record, and therefore she was not making any allegation against any individual or institution. However, she said the information refers to certain meetings, appointment requests and other matters involving PTV, the Ministry of Information and the commission.
According to Mazhar, these details raise questions about institutional transparency and possible conflicts of interest. She emphasised that she was not presenting the information at this stage as conclusive evidence or as an allegation.
Mazhar said that if an institution from which citizens expect protection and enforcement of their right to information is itself unable to ensure implementation of its own order, it raises questions about the effectiveness and credibility of the entire RTI system.
She has requested the commission to clearly include and address in its forthcoming order all objections submitted by her, the unusual delay in the RTI matter, the failure to implement the commission’s own order, the non-use of available legal powers, and the reasons behind her decision to withdraw the appeal in protest.
“I am not giving up my right to information; rather, I am protesting against the lack of effective progress for nearly two years,” Mazhar said.
