Attorney General Says RTI Act Being Misused As ICOM Rejects Claim

Attorney General Ahmed Usham has said the Right to Information (RTI) Act is being widely abused in the name of obtaining information, as concerns continue over delays by government institutions in responding to requests filed under the law.

Usham made the remarks on Wednesday when asked by reporters about complaints regarding the failure of the President’s Office to disclose information within the legally mandated timeframe. He said the RTI Act had been enacted for an important purpose and that information should be disclosed to individuals making proper use of the law.

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According to Usham, there has recently been an increase in misuse of the RTI Act, forcing government agencies to spend significant amounts of time responding to requests. He also referred to certain actions being carried out through the law, although he did not elaborate further. His remarks come amid ongoing criticism of government institutions and state-owned companies, including the President’s Office, over failures to disclose information.

Statistics released by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) for 2025 show that 487 of the 712 complaints lodged with the office last year involved failures to respond to requests submitted under the RTI Act. Many of the complaints were directed at the President’s Office, with some cases involving lengthy delays in releasing information even after directives were issued by ICOM.

Government institutions have also faced accusations of relying on provisions related to confidential information to withhold details from the public. There have additionally been complaints that some agencies provide incomplete or inaccurate information when responding to requests. Usham’s comments follow recent remarks by Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan, who said disclosing information under the RTI Act was costly. Ihusan has also previously expressed support for introducing fees for information requests submitted under the law.

Information Commissioner Ahid Rasheed responded to Usham’s remarks on Wednesday, stating that there was no evidence of widespread abuse of the RTI Act by requesters. In a post shared on X, Ahid said vexatious requests may occur in isolated cases but were not a trend. He said failures by public authorities to respond to requests were far more common than misuse by applicants.

Ahid also said no government ministry had fully complied with its legal obligation to proactively disclose information under the RTI Act. He called on the Attorney General’s Office to review ICOM’s annual reports and implementation assessments, adding that improving compliance with the RTI Act would benefit both the public and state institutions. Ahid further noted that the failure of agencies to provide information remained a serious issue, adding that even the President’s Office had failed to respond to RTI requests in some instances. According to ICOM statistics, the majority of complaints filed last year concerned agencies failing to provide any response at all to information requests.