PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission has directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project (KPCIP) to submit information sought by a citizen within five working days after the department failed to provide the required records despite repeated directions.
The order, issued on September 16, 2026, relates to Complaint No 14475 filed by Muhammad Naeem against KPCIP, which works under the Local Government, Elections and Rural Development Department in Peshawar.
According to the order, the complainant had submitted a formal request for information to KPCIP on September 4, 2026. The request was to be processed under Section 10, read with Section 11, of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act, 2013.
However, the department did not process the request in the prescribed manner, prompting the citizen to approach the KP Information Commission.
The commission observed that it had issued directions to the public body on several occasions, asking it to provide the complete required information. Despite those directions, the requested information had not been shared.
The commission noted that non-compliance with its instructions warranted a hearing under Section 26 of the law. It then summoned the Public Information Officer of the department to appear on September 16, 2026, so that the complaint could be decided on merits without further delay.
During the proceedings, Umair Hussain Khattak, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of KPCIP, appeared as the department’s representative. He assured the commission that the required information would be provided within a reasonable period.
After hearing the representative, the commission directed the Public Information Officer to submit the requested information to the commission within five working days. The order stressed that the information must be provided within the given deadline.
The accompanying information describes the KPCIP project in Mardan as a Rs10 billion public development scheme, making transparency over the use of public funds a key concern.
The commission’s order does not establish any financial wrongdoing by KPCIP. However, it records that the requested information had not been provided despite previous directions.
The matter concerns public access to information about development projects funded with public money. Citizens have a legal right to seek information from public bodies, while government departments are required to process such requests in accordance with the law.
For a project described as worth Rs10 billion in Mardan, access to records is important for understanding how funds are allocated, what activities are being carried out and how public resources are being used.
The commission’s decision gives the department a clear deadline to submit the records and allows the citizen’s complaint to proceed through the legal process. Compliance by KPCIP within the five working days will determine the next step in the matter.
The order was signed by the Chief Information Commissioner and Commissioner I. Copies were sent to the Project Director of the KPCIP Project Management Unit, Umair Hussain Khattak, the relevant department and the Deputy Director of Information Technology at the KP Information Commission for publication on the commission’s official website.
The case highlights the role of the Information Commission in ensuring that government departments respond to lawful requests for information and that citizens can seek answers about public projects and spending.
