The appellant is serving as Deputy Director, Survey of Pakistan in the Ministry of Defence. In his representation/petition 431/2021 the Islamabad High Court has directed for probe into the allegation of forgery raised by the appellant against the management of the Survey of Pakistan. The appellant apprehends that the alteration in record is intended to harm his reputation. He is feeling dissatisfied with the report submitted before the Islamabad High Court therefore has asked for the provision of the complete proceeding of the consultation by the Ministry of Defense with its attached department, Survey of Pakistan in the matter.
While dealing with the matters related to information and record sought by the citizens under the Act 2017, the public bodies are under obligation to respond to the applications as mandated in the Act. In the case in hand the respondent has not acknowledged the application, information is not provided to the applicant in the stipulated time frame and the notices of the Commission are ignored. The reply is not submitted and the hearing before the Commission was not represented by the public body. It is presumed that the respondent public body is willfully avoiding the proceedings before the Commission and that the public body has nothing in the sleeves to submit in the defense. In such circumstances, the Commission is left with no option but to decide the appeal ex parte after going through the file in light of the Act.
This Commission allowed the appeal and directed the designated Officer, Survey of Pakistan to provide the appellant complete proceeding record of Consultation by the Ministry of Defense with the Survey of Pakistan in connection with the representation sent by the Islamabad High Court.