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Social Sector
Information requests under the Freedom of Information Ordinance (FOI) 2002
Secrecy and opacity breed corruption and information empowers people. In view of the crisis of governance, need for access to information becomes supreme and this state of affairs calls for transparency in public policies. Promulgation of Freedom of Information Ordinance (FOI) 2002 is a welcome step in the right direction. Although, civil society at large has its reservations regarding the restrictive nature of the ordinance, it is a useful starting point and hopefully, in future it could be modified to give more access to information.
SDPI encourages civil society organizations in particular and individuals in general to make use of this legislation and lodge information requests to public departments and utilize this information in public interest. You can find the FOI 2002 by visiting the following link:
Link to the Ordinance
SDPI launched two information requests in this regard, one to Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the other to the Establishment Division. Both the departments showing the bureaucratic inertia did not respond within the stipulated period, which is 21 days. Upon this, we complained to the Federal Ombudsman who in turn has asked the respective departments to provide the requested information without let.
Subject to the provisions of section 8 of FOI, the following records of all public bodies are declared to be the public record, namely:
Policies and guidelines
- Transactions involving acquisition and disposal of property and expenditure undertaken by a public body in the performance of its duties
- Information regarding grant of licenses, allotments and other benefits and privileges and contracts and agreements made by a public body
- Final orders and decisions, including decisions relating to members of the public and
- Any other record, which may be notified by the Federal Government as public record for the purposes of this Ordinance.
However, the ordinance excludes following information from the purview of law:
- Noting on the files
- Minutes of meetings
- Any intermediary opinion or recommendation
- Record of the banking companies and financial institutions relating to the accounts of their customers
- Record relating to defence forces, defence installations or connected therewith or ancillary to defence and national security
- Record declared as classified by the Federal Government
- Record relating to the personal privacy of any individual
- Record of private documents furnished to a public body either on an express or implied condition that information contained in any such documents shall not be disclosed to a third person and
- Any other record which the Federal Government may, in public interest exclude from the purview of this Ordinance.
 Networking
SDPI considers networking essential for a collaborative, consultative and effective approach. These activities, in general, are part of our advocacy efforts to get support and to support like-minded organizations and individuals on issues of common interest. The purpose is to build up momentum and disseminate our ideas as widely as possible. Regular meetings of our networks gives us an opportunity to grapple with issues which other organizations are facing and builds a sense of community.
SDPI attaches great importance to civil society alliance formation both nationally and internationally. SDPI is a member of several networks of NGOs and research institutions, including South Asian Network of Economic Institutions (SANEI), Duryog Nivaran (the South Asian network for disaster mitigation), World Conservation Union (IUCN), Sustainable Livelihoods Network of the Society for International Development (SID), International Network of Civil Society Organizations on Competition (INCSOC), TRIPs Action Network (TAN), South Asia Network on Food, Ecology and Culture (SANFEC), South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Food Safety Network, Corporate Watch Group and International Persistent Organic Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN).
At the international and regional levels, SDPI maintained strong ties with South Asian Network for Development Environmental Economics (SANDEE), UBINIG Bangladesh, Daccan Development Society (DDS), India, Green Movement, Sri Lanka, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal, Unitarian Service Committee of Canada-Nepal (USCCN), Bio-Thai, Thailand, Asian NGO Coalition (ANGOC), Philippines, GRAIN, Philippines, Society For International Development (SID), Italy, The Asia Foundation, Human Development Foundation, DFID, Development Research Centre, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Institute of development Studies (IDS), International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Freidrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Regional and International Networking Group (RING), Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo, The Ford Foundation, World Commission on Dams, South Africa, South Asian Network of Economic Institutions (SANEI), Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS), India, University of Waterloo, NCCR, Zurich University, Switzerland and Social Sciences Research Council (SSRC).
Within Pakistan, SDPI co-operates with transparent public interest NGOs. SDPI is the secretariat of Citizens’ Peace Committee (CPC) and Sustainable Agriculture Action Group (SAAG). SDPI is an active member of Coalition of Rawalpindi Islamabad NGOs (CORIN). The Institute is also a member of the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) Network, the Citizens’ Forum for Women's Rights, Joint Action Committee (JAC) and Pakistan Network of Rivers, Dams and People (PNRDP) and Mubariza, a gender Network.
SDPI actively strengthened networking with the President’s Task Force on Human Development, CRPRID, the Pakistan Economic Forum, SPDC, Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Indus Farming Group, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), National Rural Support Programme (NRSP), SUNGI Development Foundation, PATTAN Development Organization, Village Friends Organization, Trust for Voluntary Organizations (TVO), SEBCON, Federal Seed Certification Department, Aurat Foundation, Ministries of Science and Technology, Environment, Local Government and Rural Development, Water and Power, health and Food and Agriculture, LEAD-Pakistan, Shirkat Gah,.
During the year, external links were further consolidated and extended. Visitors to SDPI sought information on the research programme and requested for its publications. The researchers, including the Executive Director, met representatives of various organizations and educational institutions to discuss issues of common interest. These opportunities were used to disseminate information and raise awareness about SDPI’s research and advocacy campaigns.
SDPI’s past Achievements in Advocacy and Networking
- The acceptance by a leading private sector firm, M/S Ravi Chemicals Ltd. of the recommendation to desist from importing an environmentally unsound, second-hand, mercury-based chlor-alkali plant.
- Collaboration with Sungi, Abaseen, Aurat Foundation, Urgewald, and Shirkat Gah to modify the design of the Ghazi Barotha hydropower project on environmental and social grounds. The campaign has led to the modification of several features of the project and to the initiation of a detailed study of the remaining issues.
- In the area of sustainable agriculture, an active campaign against the advertisements of ineffective pesticides on electronic media and their use was launched. This campaign resulted in banning of advertisements of ineffective pesticides on electronic media.
- A campaign was successfully launched to get Sandoz Pakistan, to withdraw Bromocriptin (Parlodel) from the market. Bromocriptin was being sold mainly for lactation suppression. However, it increased the risk of breast cancer.
- SDPI strongly supported faculty members protesting the illegal allotment of public land (university property) at heavily discounted rates to selected faculty and staff of QAU. A stay order was obtained from the High Court. A committee of parliamentarians was formed to review the situation. The government has conclusively shelved the scheme.
- SDPI has provided independent research support to the celebrated cases of Shehla Zia and others vs. WAPDA and West Pakistan Salt Miners’ Labor Union, Khewra, Jhelum Versus the Director Industries and Mineral Development, Punjab, Lahore.
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