Your right to know today - Daily Times Pakistan

Your right to know today

By Iqbal Khattak

 

PESHAWAR: A strong democratic government and an effective information-sharing regime can support national stability. Openness reduces any unfair advantage of one group over another and creates direct channels of communication between the people and the government.

 
 

This is what the third 'International Right to Know Day' will symbolize. Observed today (Wednesday), it aims to strengthen the global movement to promote the right to information.

 
 

Right to Know Day was first marked in 2003. In 2002, freedom of information organisations congregated in the Bulgarian city of Sofia to create a network of Freedom of Information (FOI) advocates. The FOI advocates proposed September 28 as an International Right to Know Day to highlight the right to information.

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It is important to change the culture of secrecy and the alienation of people by the government and bureaucracy by promoting transparency and public accountability.

 
 

Right to information allows the people to know about what policies the government has carried out. Lack of access to reliable information makes people susceptible to government manipulation. The right to access information empowers people, giving them an opportunity to participate in the affairs of the state. While passing a right to information law could be slow, experience proves that the real challenge comes in its implementation.

 
 

The Right to Know Day provides a good opportunity to draw people's attention to this fundamental right of the people.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_28-9-2005_pg7_40