Information body head regrets lack of govt support.

LAHORE -- Members of the Pakistan Information Commission on Wednesday explained their office's role in ensuring basic human rights and a transparent democracy in the country, but complained of lack of government support required to deliver.

Speaking at the press club, Chief Information Commissioner Muhammad Azam, and members Zahid Abdullah and Fawad Malik said the Right of Access to Information Act was passed in 2017, but the commission was constituted in 2018.

They regretted the commission still lacked staff and a permanent office.

They lamented the commission was getting a lukewarm response from the government, especially the finance department. 'We got our salaries eight months after our posting,' a member said.

Earlier, Mr Azam said 129 countries had access-to-information laws which override their official secrets acts, opening the way to real democracy by allowing people to question the functioning of government.

He said Pakistan had in 2002 promulgated the Freedom of Information Ordinance under compulsion as a condition for getting an Asian Development Bank loan, but the law was not enforced properly.

He said Khyber...