FJWU faces RTI complaint over withheld faculty records

Fatima Jinnah Women University refused to share the educational qualifications and professional records of newly appointed faculty members and declined to provide the names of shortlisted candidates in its recent hiring process, prompting the applicant to approach the Punjab Information Commission.

The applicant sought the information under the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013. The request covered complete lists of newly appointed Lecturers, Assistant Professors and Associate Professors in various departments of Fatima Jinnah Women University, including the Department of International Relations, along with their educational qualifications and professional credentials.

The applicant also requested separate lists of candidates shortlisted after the initial demonstration or test and after the final Selection Board interviews for regular posts of Associate Professor, Assistant Professor and Lecturer.

A third request sought the complete eligibility criteria and requirements used for the recent faculty hiring process.

In its reply dated August 31, 2026, Fatima Jinnah Women University stated that appointment letters had been issued to candidates recommended by the Selection Board and later approved by the Syndicate, while the joining process was still under way.

The university, however, declined to provide the educational qualifications and professional credentials of the selected candidates. Public Information Officer Saima Mushtaq cited Section 13(b) of the Punjab RTI Act, referring to a legitimate privacy interest unless the person concerned has agreed to disclosure.

The university also declined to provide the shortlisted candidates lists, stating the information could not be shared to maintain the confidentiality of the recruitment process.

The university did provide the advertised eligibility criteria through Annexure A attached with its response.

The applicant has now filed a complaint before the Chief Information Commissioner, Punjab Information Commission, challenging what he describes as the wrongful or incomplete denial of the requested information.

In the complaint, the applicant argues that the information concerns appointments to public posts and that disclosure would help the public understand how recruitment was carried out. The complaint asks the Commission to direct the university to provide the requested faculty lists, qualifications, professional credentials and shortlisted candidates lists, with private personal information removed where necessary.

The complaint also refers to earlier Punjab Information Commission cases involving public institutions, According to the complaint, the Commission has in those matters directed disclosure of various recruitment details such as qualifications, experience, shortlists and selection related information. The applicant has cited these cases in support of his request for disclosure from Fatima Jinnah Women University.

The applicant has asked the Punjab Information Commission to examine the university’s response and decide whether the withheld information should be disclosed under the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013.

The final decision on whether the requested information should be released rests with the Punjab Information Commission, which will hear and decide the complaint according to the applicable law and record before it.