International Day for Universal Access to Information Written by: Tanvir Hussain , Ahmad Pur Sial

Ayesha Nadeem
Posted Ayesha Nadeem

Knowing begins with questioning and man is undoubtedly in search of information. Mankind, who is the highest among the creatures, wants to know because thinking is the nature of man and this ability was given to him by his intellect. It is through information that the cave-dwelling man molded himself into a civilized society. New inventions are due to “information”.

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International Day for Universal Access to Information

Newton got to the bottom of why the apple fell to the ground and discovered “gravity”. The word “information” means to be aware or have knowledge about anything. In the light of Quran and Hadith, the acquisition of knowledge has been declared a duty on every man and woman. Curriculum education has a limit which ends until the completion of the final degree, but knowledge is an ocean that has no shore, that is why the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said that “Get knowledge from the lap to the grave” means get information from birth to the end of life. The chain of information does not end till death. The thought of a person with thinking, prudence and curiosity brings him to the point where he can be guided by his intellect. Access to the information Day is generally celebrated on 28th September every year globally. Even today this day is being celebrated all over the world including Pakistan. Universal access to information means that everyone can get healthy and comprehensive information. One has the fundamental right to provide. One of the objectives of celebrating this day is to facilitate access to information so that anyone in any corner of the world can be aware of the events happening around the world. One of the objectives of the day is to focus on the benefits of constitutional, statutory or policy guarantees for public access to information to help formulate sustainable policies. It was initially designated by UNESCO in November 2015 and celebrated for the first time on 28th September 2016. The 21st century is the era of information and globalization. Through access to information, governments, civil society and people can achieve dynamic and sustainable development goals. Information is power. Informed citizens can make informed decisions. Only if citizens are informed about who is governing them? How are they governing? They can hold their government accountable for its decisions and actions. This right is an essential element of freedom of expression. The media, whether electronic or print, play an important role in informing about issues of public interest. The right of access to information is intertwined with the right to freedom of the press. Media has made access the easiet. Now the world is in the hands of man, getting any kind of information is just a “click” away. The modern era of information technology has created a “revolution” in access to information. Now there are apps in touch mobiles that can be used by everyone sitting at home. Now there are such apps in touch mobiles from which one can get all kinds of information at home, for example, if you want to travel, you can get the departure times of the ride and buy tickets at home. In government offices counters are set up to provide information to people. Similarly, if information is required about a package or service of a mobile phone, the entire menu is heard. A computerized female voice makes it easy for the user to access information. Literacy is not a prerequisite for accessing information. Even illiterate people can access information the way an educated person gets. In short, access to information has not been difficult in modern times, but the people sitting at the information counters in various institutions should politely convey information to the knowledgeable. Islam also teaches us the same.

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