Concealing Public Record:  PIC imposed penalty on officer of SoP

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Islamabad: The Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) has imposed a penalty on an officer of Survey of Pakistan (SoP) for willfully concealing and denying providing public record to a citizen under the right to information law.

Muhammad Nawaz, a former officer of Survey of Pakistan, under Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, had filed an appeal before The Commission seeking public record of Survey of Pakistan’s (SoP) bank account in Askari Bank I-8 Markaz branch.

The Survey of Pakistan (SoP), in order to avoid the supply of requested records, took plea that the said account was not a public account whereupon PIC observed how an officer can open his personal account with the title of his department and ordered to supply the said record.

After failing compliance of PIC’s order and subsequent show cause notices by the public body. The PIC by exercising its special powers, imposed a penalty of deduction of 15 days salary in respect of Maj. Mehar Ali, deputy surveyor (General-I) of SoP being head of the administration and alleged operator of the said bank account, and ordered the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) to implement its order under intimation to Secretary Ministry of Defense and Pakistan Information Commission.