In the instant appeal the citizen has sought proceeding made on her applications. While dealing with the matters related to information and record sought by the citizens under the Act of 2017, the public bodies are under obligation to respond 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 like 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.
The appeal is allowed. The Divisional Superintendent, Pakistan Railways, Peshawar is directed to furnish all the requested information detailed in para-1 of this order, forth with but in any case not later than 7 days of the receipt of this order.