Rawalpindi: A citizen rights activist has sought official details about the academic qualifications and professional training of senior and supervisory staff working in the Suthra Punjab Authority in Rawalpindi.
Zaheer Ahmed Awan, Chairman of the Pakistan Citizen Rights Movement (PCRM), has filed an information request through the Punjab Chief Minister’s Complaint Portal under the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013. The request has been addressed to the Commissioner of Rawalpindi Division.
The application asks the Commissioner to provide information regarding the qualifications of key officials of the authority, including the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Operations Managers, Assistant Managers, Sanitation Chiefs, Sanitation Inspectors and field-level supervisory staff.
A central point of the request is whether officials serving in these posts possess degrees, diplomas or professional certifications in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Management or any related discipline.
The applicant has also sought the total number of senior officers currently posted in the authority and details of their educational backgrounds. The request asks for the names and designations of Assistant Managers performing sanitation and supervisory duties, along with their academic qualifications.
Details have also been requested about the number of Sanitation Inspectors and field-level supervisors employed by the authority, including their educational and professional qualifications.
Awan has further asked whether the CEO, COO and Operations Managers hold any degree, diploma or other professional qualification in environmental sciences or a connected field.
The RTI request also covers the appointment process. It seeks certified copies of educational records, appointment criteria and eligibility requirements prescribed for the relevant positions, subject to applicable laws and privacy protections.
The applicant has requested that the information be supplied in both hard copy and electronic form. He has also asked that if any part of the record is held by another public body or department, that portion of the application be transferred to the relevant Public Information Officer under the applicable provisions of the RTI law.
Awan said Suthra Punjab was not merely a cleaning organisation, as its work included sanitation, solid waste management and activities directly linked with environmental protection and public health. He said citizens had a right to know whether persons appointed to such responsibilities carried the required education, training and professional experience.
He maintained that the request was aimed at promoting professional standards, transparency, merit and accountability in the sanitation system. Public institutions funded through taxpayers’ money should be ready to share relevant information about performance and staff qualifications, he added.
The application does not accuse any named official of possessing a fake degree, lacking qualifications or obtaining appointment through illegal means. It seeks official records to examine the qualifications and appointment requirements of the relevant staff.
The response of the Commissioner and the information supplied by the Suthra Punjab Authority will show whether the requested record is available and what academic and professional qualifications are held by its senior and supervisory officials.
