This commission holds that the access to the requested information in the instant Appeal about the recruitments in Allama Iqbal Open University is a matter of public importance and its disclosure is warranted under the provisions of the Act, 2017.
This commission issued a detailed Order in Appeal No. 942-03/21, Abdullah Rashed Waraich Vs. Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation which was upheld by the Honourable Islamabad High Court. In this Order, the commission held that information such as regional quota roster maintained by a public body, consolidated result of written test of the posts, attendance sheet of written tests, online applications submitted by candidates who were shortlisted for interview, educational certificates/degrees of the candidates who were shortlisted for interview, answer sheets of all candidates who were called for interview, attendance sheet of interviews, evaluation Proforma containing detail of academic records, marks obtained in written as well as in interviews by the candidates shortlisted for interview, duly signed by Departmental Selection Committee, recommendations of the Departmental Selection Committee regarding selection of candidates is a matter of public importance.
This commission holds that the disclosure of marks assigned by each member of the Selection Board to Each candidate, appeared for interview for the position of Associate Professor would shed light on the level of transparency adopted in the entire recruitment process and hence help achieve stated objectives of the Act enunciated in its Preamble which are as under:
a) Making government more accountable to citizens’;
b. Greater level of participation of citizens in the affairs of the government’;
c. ‘Reducing corruption and inefficiency’;
d. Promoting sound economic growth’; and
e. Promoting good governance and respect for human rights.