Punjab CM Office denies RTI requests seeking details of Maryam's tours and vehicles, luxury jet acquired by govt

LAHORE: The Punjab chief minister’s office has refused a lawyer’s requests, made under the right to information law, for details of vehicles in incumbent provincial chief executive Maryam Nawaz’s use, her foreign visits and a luxury plane acquired by the Punjab government.

The right to information (RTI) in Pakistan is enshrined as a fundamental right under Article 19-A of the Constitution, designed to empower citizens with access to government-held information.

Lawyer Abdullah Malik had submitted two applications with the Public Information Commission (PIC) in July last year and in February this year.

In his letter in July, he sought the following details:

• Expenditure under the heads of fuel, maintenance of vehicles and tours, including international visits
• Total number of vehicles and their mark, model and cast
• Expenditure on helicopter or aircraft used by the CM and its total mileage of travel
• Total number of social media team members at the CM House, along with their salaries
• Whether the CM got the approval for her foreign tours from the Ministry of Finance and how many officials were with her on her Japan tour, as well as the expenses incurred on that visit

Separately, in a letter in February, the lawyer sought details about a G500 jet.

The Gulfstream 19-seater jet is estimated to be worth between $38 million and $42m, and Maryam has faced severe criticism regarding her government’s purchase of the aircraft.

The Punjab administration had initially remained tight-lipped about the acquisition of the aircraft but later claimed that it was part of a proposed airline project.

The lawyer received replies on both his letters earlier this month. Both responses are dated April 28.

On his July request, the CM Office’s public information officer (PIO) said: “The desired information is not held by this office.”

It also cited “legitimate exception” as a reason for not sharing the information, stating: “The information sought is excepted under section 13(1)(e) of the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013.”

Section 13(1)(e) of the Act reads: “A public information officer may refuse an application for access to information where disclosure of the information shall or is likely to cause harm to — the life, health or safety of any person.”

The record of the proceedings before the PIC, available with Dawn, show that the PIO continuously sought adjournments regarding the July request until the commission on April 13 gave a strict warning of penal consequences in case of failure to respond.

On Malik’s request for information regarding the luxury jet, the PIO responded: “It is informed that desired information is not held by this office. The same is hereby returned under the relevant provision of Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013.”

In 2021, the provision of legitimate exception was also used a reason to refuse a request for details of official vehicles and related records in the use of then-Punjab CM Usman Buzdar, who was from the PTI. The move had drawn sharp criticism from PML-N leaders, who were in the opposition at the time.