How to request information in Pakistan: a step-by-step guide
How to use Pakistan's 2017 federal right-to-information law: who can apply, deadlines, fees, exemptions, complaints, and how the provincial laws compare.
Published 18 October 2026, Guide
Pakistan's right-to-information laws let citizens ask public bodies for records such as budgets, contracts, decisions and correspondence. This guide covers the federal process in detail and then compares the four provincial laws. For the wider records landscape, see the Pakistan public file.
Which law applies
Pick the law by the body that holds the record, not by where you live.
- Federal bodies (ministries, divisions, attached departments, federal corporations and authorities): the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017.
- Provincial bodies (provincial departments, district administrations, local bodies): the right-to-information law of that province.
If you are unsure, check the body's website or its notification, which usually says whether it is federal or provincial.
The federal process, step by step
- Check what is already published. The 2017 Act requires federal bodies to publish core information on their own, including budgets, rules, decision-making processes and the names of their designated officials. Look there first.
- Find the designated official. Each federal body must notify one or more designated officials, of at least BPS-19 rank (a senior grade in the civil service pay scale), to receive requests. If none has been notified, the head of the office acts as designated official. Many bodies list this officer on an "RTI" or "designated official" page.
- Write the request. Any Pakistani citizen can apply. The request must be in writing, but can be sent by hand, post, fax, email or online if the body accepts it. Give your name and address, name the body, and describe the record as precisely as you can. You do not have to give a reason, and the law says no one can require one.
- Keep proof of sending. Keep a receipt, a dated copy, a courier slip or the sent email. The deadline runs from the date the body receives your request.
- Wait for the reply. The body must respond as soon as possible and within 10 working days. It can extend this once, by up to 10 more working days, for example where a large search or third-party consultation is needed, and it must tell you. Information needed to protect someone's life or liberty must be provided within three working days. If the body does not hold the record, it must tell you within 10 working days.
- Pay any copying charge. There is no fee to make a request. A prescribed fee can be charged for reproducing and sending records. The Pakistan Information Commission has published fee regulations; check the current version on its website.
- Complain if needed. If you are refused, ignored or given incomplete records, you can complain to the Pakistan Information Commission within 30 days of the decision, or of the date the decision was due. Complaints are free. The Commission must decide within 60 days, and the public body has to prove it complied with the law.
The Pakistan Information Commission publishes its appeal procedure, contact details and many of its past decisions. Reading decisions on similar requests is one of the best ways to see how the law works in practice.
What can be withheld
The federal Act works in two layers.
- Records excluded from the definition of public record. These include internal file notings and meeting minutes, bank customer records, defence and national security records, records a Minister classifies with recorded reasons, personal privacy records and documents supplied in confidence. Defence exclusion does not cover commercial and welfare activities, and allegations of corruption and human rights violations cannot be shielded through ministerial classification.
- Exemptions that require a harm test. Information can be refused where disclosure would likely harm international relations, investigations, law enforcement, security, privacy, commercial interests, legal privilege or policy-making, among others. Most exemptions lapse after 20 years.
A refusal should name the provision relied on. If it does not, say so in your complaint.
Provincial laws compared
| Province | Law | Reply deadline | Complaint body |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punjab | Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013 | 14 working days, extendable by up to 14 | Punjab Information Commission |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act, 2013 | 10 working days, extendable by up to 10 | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission |
| Sindh | Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2016 | 15 working days, extendable by up to 10 | Sindh Information Commission, after internal review |
| Balochistan | Balochistan Right to Information Act, 2021 | 15 working days | Balochistan Information Commission |
In Punjab and Sindh the law says no fee may be charged for making a request; only copying and sending costs may apply. Several provincial laws provide a shorter deadline, often two working days, for information needed to protect life or liberty. Sindh's law sets an internal review by the head of the public body before a complaint to the Commission. Appeal steps and time limits differ elsewhere, so read the provincial law or the commission's website before you file. Some commissions have had vacancies or delays at times; if a commission is not responding, keep records of every attempt.
Writing a request that works
Do
- Ask for specific records: "the signed contract and all payment vouchers for tender number X".
- Give a date range.
- Name the law and section you are using.
- Split a large request into several smaller ones.
- Ask for electronic copies where available.
- Keep a log of every date, reply and reference number.
Don't
- Ask questions that need opinions or explanations; ask for documents.
- Include accusations or names of suspected wrongdoers.
- Explain why you want the records; the law does not require it.
- Send the request from a work email or work account.
- Ignore a deadline; complaint windows are short.
After you receive records
Check that what you received matches what you asked for. Note any missing pages, blacked-out passages or attachments that are referred to but not supplied, and ask for them in writing. If part of a record is withheld, the reply should say which part and why. Keep the covering letter with the records: it shows who released them, when and under which law. That chain matters if you later share the records with a journalist or a court. Our guide on verifying documents explains how we check records before relying on them.
A note on safety
If you hold records that should be public and cannot request them safely, you can contact us through the secure tip form.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a federal body have to answer an information request in Pakistan?
Ten working days under the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, extendable once by up to 10 more working days. Information needed to protect life or liberty must be provided within three working days.
Is there a fee to file a right-to-information request in Pakistan?
There is no fee to make a request under the federal Act. A prescribed charge can apply for copying and sending records, so check the current fee regulations on the Pakistan Information Commission website.
Do I have to give a reason for my request?
No. The federal Act says an applicant cannot be required to give reasons for a request.
What can I do if my request is ignored or refused?
For federal bodies, complain to the Pakistan Information Commission within 30 days. Complaints are free, and the Commission must decide within 60 days. Provincial laws have their own commissions and steps.
Can foreigners use Pakistan's federal RTI law?
The federal Act gives the right to citizens of Pakistan, including a person acting on a citizen's behalf.
Sources
- transparency.org.pk/Annex/RTI/RTI-law-2017-Federal.pdf
- rti.gov.pk/
- pap.gov.pk/en/about-secretariat/rti/rti-act-2013
- tnnenglish.com/unlocking-transparency-your-right-to-access-public-information-in-khy
- transparency.org.pk/Annex/RTI/Sindh-Act-No.XV-of-2017.pdf
- archive.cpdi-pakistan.org/archives/22239
- app.com.pk/domestic/information-commissioner-reaffirms-citizens-access-to-inform