Govt Departments Are Failing to Disclose Public Information: Report
The government departments across Pakistan are falling short of their legal obligations to proactively disclose public information, with compliance ranging from 28 percent in Balochistan to 59 percent in Punjab, according to a Transparency International Pakistan report released ahead of Global Right to Know Day on September 28.
The 2026 Right to Information in Practice assessment reviewed the official websites of 98 federal and provincial government departments against disclosure requirements under the relevant right to information laws.
The assessment found Punjab had the highest overall compliance at 59 percent, followed by the federal government at 47 percent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 41 percent, Sindh at 31 percent and Balochistan at 28 percent.
The report found budget and expenditure information to be among the weakest areas of disclosure across jurisdictions. Information about Public Information Officers was also poorly disclosed in several areas, limiting citizens’ ability to identify whom to contact when information is not available online. The report says budget information scored below 40 percent across jurisdictions.
Federal Government Disclosure
The federal government recorded an overall compliance score of 47 percent across 14 ministries and departments. The Ministry of Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs had the highest score at 83 percent, followed by the Ministry of Law and Justice at 75 percent. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives scored 72 percent, while the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination scored 67 percent.
At the lower end, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs both recorded 22 percent, placing them in the report’s minimal compliance category. The Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting each scored 31 percent, while the Ministry of Energy recorded 33 percent.
Provincial Performance
Punjab recorded the highest provincial compliance at 59 percent across 18 departments. The Environment Protection and Climate Change Department led with 83 percent, while the Industries, Commerce and Investment Department and Irrigation Department each scored 73 percent. The Health Department had the lowest score in Punjab at 29 percent, followed by the Board of Revenue at 35 percent.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 41 percent across 22 departments. The Climate Change, Forestry, Environment and Wildlife Department had the highest score at 72 percent, followed by the Communication and Works Department at 70 percent. The Directorate of Industries and Commerce and Labour Department recorded the lowest scores at 7 percent each.
Sindh recorded 31 percent across 25 departments. The Bureau of Statistics, Planning and Development Department led with 64 percent, followed by the Finance Department at 58 percent. The Industries and Commerce Department recorded the lowest score at 11 percent, while the Sindh Governor House scored 12 percent.
Balochistan had the lowest overall compliance at 28 percent across 19 departments. The Planning and Development Department scored the highest at 58 percent, followed by the Local Government and Rural Development Department at 53 percent.
The Finance and Industries and Commerce departments each scored 6 percent, while four departments, including Climate Change and Environment, Irrigation, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, and Labour and Manpower, scored just 3 percent. The websites of the Transport Department and Board of Revenue were inaccessible and were therefore not scored.
The report recommends standardized formats for proactive disclosure, regular training and institutional support for Public Information Officers, and stronger online publication of budgets and expenditures. It also calls for mandatory publication of PIO names and contact details, disclosure of decision-making processes and public consultation opportunities, and a dedicated Right to Information section on every government department’s website.
