Balochistan public bodies disclose 48% of legally required information: FAFEN

ISLAMABAD: Public bodies in Balochistan province proactively disclose an average of 48 percent of the information required under the Balochistan Right to Information (BRTI) Act, 2021, according to the latest transparency assessment report released by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).

The assessment is part of FAFEN’s Countering Disinformation through Information campaign, which underscores the importance of proactive disclosures by public authorities in strengthening institutional transparency and countering mis- and disinformation.

The assessment reviewed 66 public bodies in Balochistan province, including 39 Secretariat Departments, 12 Attached Departments, and 15 Autonomous Bodies, against the proactive disclosure requirements prescribed under Section 5 of the BRTI Act. The law mandates proactive disclosure of nine categories of information by a public body and emphasizes the publication of updated information in accessible formats, including online.

Overall, Autonomous Bodies performed relatively better, disclosing an average of 59 percent of the required information, followed by Attached Departments at 46 percent, while Secretariat Departments lagged at 44 percent.

Among Secretariat Departments, the Agriculture and Cooperatives, Information, Planning and Development, and Urban Planning and Development Departments emerged as the most transparent, each disclosing 70 percent of the required information. Among Attached Departments, the Gwadar Development Authority and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority led with 60 percent compliance. Among Autonomous Bodies, the Balochistan Education and Endowment Fund and the University of Turbat disclosed 80 percent of the required information.

Despite these high-performing public bodies, the assessment found widespread gaps in compliance. A large number of public bodies disclosed only 40–50 percent of the required information, while several lagged further behind, disclosing as little as 10–30 percent.

Basic organizational information, such as functions, duties, and institutional structure, was the most widely available category, disclosed by 98 percent of public bodies. Legal frameworks governing public bodies’ operations were available on 80 percent of the assessed websites, while 73 percent disclosed information on public services and service delivery conditions. About 21 percent of public bodies published some budget-related information, including proposed or actual expenditures.

Information on subsidy or benefit programmes was disclosed by 15 percent of public bodies, while two percent provided some details on recipients of concessions, permits, licences, or authorisations. Nearly six percent offered guidance on submitting information requests or disclosed contact details of Public Information Officers (PIOs). Moreover, 15 percent of public bodies published annual reports on compliance with the BRTI Act, a mandatory requirement under Section 5(2) of the Act.

FAFEN urged provincial government institutions to leverage technology to proactively share authentic information in order to counter digital disinformation. It said it would make public its recommendations for improvements to the BRTI Act 2021 to enhance the government’s focus on transparency. Syed Naveed Jamal