Pakistan, Sept. 7 -- The Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) has ruled that the National Assembly speaker's decision to classify certain records cannot restrict citizens' right to information (RTI) unless the ruling gives reasons showing that the harm from disclosure outweighs the public interest.

The PIC issued the ruling while deciding two appeals filed by journalist Saddia Mazhar against the NA Secretariat.

One of the appeals sought information about officers who had joined the NA Secretariat on deputation from January 2018 onwards, including their parent departments, grades, appointment dates, promotions and records relating to their induction into the secretariat.

The NA Secretariat had argued that minutes of meetings, official ...