RaajjeTV expresses concern over President's Office failure to honor statutory deadlines for RTI responses!

Raajje TV has stated that the President's Office has shown a complete disregard for statutory deadlines in its handling of cases filed by the station with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM).

RaajjeTV expressed these concerns during a hearing held at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) on Sunday.

RaajjeTV has filed numerous cases against the President's Office under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. However, the President's Office failed to provide responses within the statutory deadlines mandated for cases submitted to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICOM).

During Sunday's hearing, RaajjeTV was represented by its Deputy CEO, Naazmee Saeed, and Head of Programs, Amir Saleem.

Speaking at the hearing, Amir stated that the Right to Information Act prescribes specific timeframes for a reason. He questioned whether it was a mere coincidence that the President's Office issued a flurry of responses only after RaajjeTV refiled its complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) following the expiration of those statutory deadlines.

"While we are bound by specific statutory deadlines, the President's Office continues to disregard them entirely. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) has once again urged them to be mindful of these timeframes. For instance, we are forced to file complaints after waiting ten days, and yet, it is only after a matter is formally lodged with ICOM—sometimes more than two months later—that the President's Office coincidentally provides all the answers, either that same night or the following day."

Amir Saleem, Head of Programs at RaajjeTV

Naazmee Saeed also expressed similar concerns. He noted that the President's Office issued responses immediately after the complaints were filed, which creates room for such questions to be raised.

Whether by coincidence or not, the fact that these responses arrived in rapid succession just a day after RaajjeTV submitted the case creates legitimate grounds for such questions to be raised.

RaajjeTV Deputy CEO Naazmee Saeed

Furthermore, RaajjeTV highlighted that the President's Office's current conduct shows no genuine intent to provide information. Naazmee noted that the response from the President's Office today remains the same as it was three months ago: that the information will be shared once it has been clarified by the relevant department.

Speaking on the matter, Information Commissioner Aahid Rasheed stated that the President’s Office has failed to act in accordance with the law. However, he noted that the Commission is striving to provide as much leeway as possible. He further warned that action would be taken if such legal violations continue to occur repeatedly. Aahid also expressed his personal concern regarding the current conduct of the President’s Office.

Aahid stated that it should not take several months for the President's Office to provide information regarding the President's official travels.

This has been the consistent pattern in all cases submitted by RaajjeTV to the President's Office. Although the President's Office failed to provide the requested information within the legally mandated timeframe, they only issued a response after RaajjeTV filed a formal complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICOM).