Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Andleeb Abbas has written a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan, requesting him to take a suo motu notice on denial of information to her by the federal and Punjab governments, which is a violation of right to public information act. In a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, she said that the only option left with her is to knock the door of apex court after the Prime Minister Secretariat and Chief Minister Secretariat Punjab did not move an inch in providing her information on different matters of public interest.
"In democracy, nobody is above the law, but as a citizen, I find it strange that my legal rights are being constantly disregarded by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. As a taxpayer citizen, I had applied for information from the PM Secretariat and CM Secretariat Punjab under the constitutional laws mentioned below," she added.
She told that she wrote several letters to principal secretaries of both the prime minister and the chief minister Punjab for access to information within the time period specified in the Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002 19-A and Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013, respectively.
In her letter sent to the PS to Prime Minister, she had sought access to information about the performance of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), misuse of public funds for the promotion of Prime Minister's family and expenses of Jati-Umra. Andleeb had also sought details about $200 billion stashed in Swiss banks and 'illegal' appointment of Saeed Ahmad, former deputy governor of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), who has now been handpicked as president of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP).
She said that 'misleading statements by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar about $200 billion stashed in Swiss banks were also not explained; besides there is silence over corruption allegations against a chief executive officer of cash-starved Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
Referring to her letter sent to Principal Secretary of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Andleeb said that she was not provided information about conversion of 6 personal residences of the chief minister into camp offices despite several requests, which is a blatant violation of Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013.
"There is no word from the CM Secretariat about the purchase of executive jet plane for the chief minister. Another request about 1,000 terrorists roaming at large in Punjab was also not explained," she added.
"The PM Secretariat did not bother to reply to any of the above applications. I received only two replies from the Chief Minister Secretariat which just refuted my queries without providing me certified copies of the record to prove denial," she added.
She said that every public office is bound under Article 19-A of the Constitution and Freedom of Information Ordinance, 2002 to provide information to citizens of Pakistan, but she was consistently denied her constitutional rights by the highest public offices.
"When Constitution and laws are treated with such a disdain by public office holders, democracy becomes a sham and might become right, leaving the powerless at the mercy of the powerful. I, therefore, humbly seek your attention to make them accountable according to the law and Constitution," she pleaded.