Benefits for 3- & 4-Star defence officers: Hearing before PIC in RTI Act case put off

ISLAMABAD: The hearing held on Tuesday before the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) in the case of information under RTI Act 2017 about perks and privileges of three- and four-star officers of army, navy and air force was adjourned till November 20.

The request for information asked by former senator Farhatullah Babar, president Human Rights Cell of PPP has been pending since July 2020. Information had been denied on the ground that its disclosure was detrimental to national security.

Hearing was held by Chief Information Commissioner Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui and Information Commissioner Ijaz Hasan Awan in the courtroom of PIC in Islamabad. The Defence Ministry was represented by a deputy secretary while the appellant appeared in person.

Arguing, Farhatullah Babar reminded the PIC of its order of May 2022 directing the Defence Ministry to not only provide him answer but also to place the information about post-retirement benefits on the website of the ministry.

He said that when in October 2023 a three-member bench of SC headed by the then CJP bowed before Article 19 of the Constitution which recognises right to information as a fundamental right, he felt encouraged sending regular reminders to the Defence Ministry but in vain.

All reminders have been ignored by the ministry.

This brazen violation of the law, he said did not throw any bright light on the institution. Blatantly refusing to comply with the law is no victory, not even a pyrrhic one, he said.

He said that he may not be able to force the hand of the Defence Ministry but every time the question is raised it will bring it no glory to anyone. The refusal by the successive defence secretaries will also not be a memorable line in their CVs, he said.

He said that the question first arose when some years back a former army chief was allotted 90 acres of land worth billions near Lahore as post-retirement benefits. “When the issue was raised in the senate the ISPR tersely stated that allotment had been made “through constitutional provisions” and warned that asking such questions is “detrimental to existing cohesion,” he said.

The next hearing was fixed for November 20.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024