PIC orders senate to release Hyder Ali inquiry report within 10 days

The Pakistan Information Commission has directed the Senate Secretariat to provide a copy of the finalized inquiry report concerning

Islamabad: The Pakistan Information Commission has directed the Senate Secretariat to provide a copy of the finalized inquiry report concerning Senate employee Hyder Ali within 10 days, putting the long running information dispute under a fresh deadline.

The order was issued on September 8, 2026, in Appeal No. 5832 07/2026, filed by Sohail Abdullah against the Senate of Pakistan. The Commission partially allowed the appeal and directed the Secretary Senate Secretariat to provide the inquiry report to the applicant and the Commission within 10 days.

The Commission also adjourned the matter until October 6, 2026 to check implementation of its order.

The case concerns an inquiry report related to Hyder Ali, an employee of the Senate Secretariat. The Commission noted that the Senate had confirmed that one inquiry report against the official had been finalized and that no disciplinary action had been taken against him so far.

The Senate Secretariat had argued that records of its employees had been classified and that the matter was also pending before the Islamabad High Court. It asked the Commission to reject the appeal on those grounds.

The Commission examined the position and found that the court case cited by the Senate did not prevent disclosure of the inquiry report sought by the applicant. It observed that the writ petition before the Islamabad High Court concerned certain notifications, while the request before the Commission was for a copy of an inquiry report.

The Commission also considered the Senate’s argument that its Chairman had the power to classify records under the relevant information framework. It held that the Chairman Senate is empowered to exercise that power, subject to the conditions set out in the law.

However, the Commission noted that the orders issued by two former Senate chairmen did not specifically classify inquiries against Senate employees. It therefore directed disclosure of the finalized inquiry report concerning Hyder Ali.

The dispute began with an information request seeking details about an incident involving Hyder Ali during the 148th session of the Inter Parliamentary Union in Geneva in March 2024.

The request stated that Hyder Ali had travelled with his family during the official delegation and had obtained introductory letters and supporting documents through the Senate Secretariat. It further alleged that members of his family later sought asylum in a European country. These claims appear in the applicant’s information request and were presented by the applicant as the reason for seeking an inquiry and related records.

The applicant asked the Senate Secretariat what action had been taken, whether an inquiry had been conducted, whether disciplinary action had followed and whether the final inquiry report could be provided.

The Senate Secretariat, in its response, maintained that employee records had been classified and that the inquiry matter was linked to proceedings before the Islamabad High Court.

The Commission, however, found that the finalized inquiry report itself had not been specifically classified by the cited Senate orders and ordered its release.

The latest order means the Senate Secretariat now has 10 days from receipt of the decision to provide the report, with the case scheduled to return before the Commission on October 6 for implementation review