No govt can deprive citizen of right to access to information, says SC judge

Supreme Court (SC) judge Justice Athar Minallah has said that although Article 19 A of the constitution guarantees citizens the right to access to information, but the right is subject to certain limitations, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.  

In his additional note on the petition, seeking access to information about the SC employees, the judge has said that despite some restrictions, however, the parliament does not have the power to limit the scope of this constitutional right.   

The judge, while saying he completely agrees with the decision pronounced by ex-chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa in the case, has said that neither the government nor any of its departments can deprive a citizen of the right to access to information. “Article 8 of the constitution bars the state from doing any such legislation that either infringes upon fundamental human rights or restricts them,” he has said, adding neither the apex court could place limitations on individual liberties. “It is simply unimaginable.”

Justice Minallah has observed that if people think that those institutions, which are supposed to protect their rights, are themselves trampling upon them, they will lose their trust in these institutions. “And if the people’s trust is eroded, the independence of the judiciary will be weakened.”

The judge has written that the right to access to information acts as a bulwark against corruption and must be ensured at all costs.

Reporter: Amanat Gishkori