PESHAWAR: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) issued a report recently, which states that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government departments are only revealing 57% of the information required by the KP Right to Information Act. This detailed evaluation included 190 entities throughout the province.
FAFEN report indicates that adherence levels differed among departments. The Secretariat and autonomous entities demonstrated 64% transparency whereas attached departments revealed fewer than 50% of the details. Certain departments, such as Auqaf & Hajj and the Minerals Department excelled with 92% transparency while more, than half of the organizations recorded than 50%.
FAFEN’s results also revealed financial openness as merely 27% of departments shared budget information and only 15% disclosed details about decision-making and public consultation processes. Although the majority of institutions specified types of information 29% included contact information, for Public Information Officers (PIOs).
The report emphasized that the lack of timely and comprehensive online information limits citizen oversight and stressed the need for government departments to ensure accurate, accessible, and up-to-date data for the public.
Two local government officials suspended over corruption in KP
On November 21, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government suspended two officials of the local government department over corruption after their videos of taking bribes went viral on social media.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Minister Meena Khan Afridi has taken immediate notice of the information regarding bribery and corruption that has emerged in two videos circulating on social media and has taken action against two employees of the local government department.
According to a statement issued by the office of the local government minister, complaints were received against both employees through social media, which have been taken very seriously.
According to the statement issued, the village secretary of Village Council Daulatpura Charsadda has been suspended with immediate effect on charges of alleged corruption, while the deputy messenger of Neighbourhood Council 59 Mandozai Peshawar has also been suspended on charges of accepting a bribe.
The statement said that a formal inquiry committee has been formed against both the suspended employees, which will review all the evidence and submit its report within the stipulated period.
Local Government Minister Meena Khan Afridi said that a zero-tolerance policy against bribery and corruption is being implemented in the Local Government Department, and corruption at any level will not be tolerated.
He clarified that strict legal action will be taken against negligence, fraud or misuse of powers in public service.
The Local Government Minister further said that reforms are underway to make the Local Government Department a transparent, functional and people-friendly institution, and every complaint is being taken seriously and action is being taken without discrimination.
