The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission has issued a show cause notice to the Director General of Health Services after repeated failures by the health department to comply with transparency laws and provide information requested by the public. This action follows multiple complaints from citizens and ongoing non-cooperation from the department, raising concerns about transparency and accountability within the provincial health sector.
According to the Commission, thirteen separate complaints were lodged by citizens against the Department of Health Services in Peshawar, alleging that the department had refused to share information required by law. In response, the Commission scheduled a hearing and instructed the department’s Public Information Officer to attend with all necessary documentation. Despite these directives, no representative from the health department appeared at the hearing, prompting the Commission to escalate its response.
The Information Commission reported that it made several attempts to contact the department before the scheduled hearing but received no cooperation. When reached, the former Public Information Officer, Asghar Khan Afridi, denied further involvement in the role, while another official, Naeem, failed to accept responsibility or offer a constructive response. The Commission described these actions as obstructive, unprofessional, and in direct violation of transparency requirements.
Invoking its authority under the KP Right to Information Act, the Commission issued a formal show cause notice to the Director General of Health Services, requiring him to submit a written explanation within seven days. The Director General must now justify why legal action should not proceed against him for failing to enforce transparency obligations and for the persistent lack of cooperation from his department.
The Information Commission stressed that such disregard for legal duties undermines public trust and hampers the effective implementation of right to information laws. The resolution of this case may serve as a benchmark for how similar situations are managed by the authorities in the future.
