Article 19-A of the Constitution of Pakistan talks about the Fundamental Right To Information. It states that:

Every citizen shall have the right to have access to information in all matters of public importance subject to regulation and reasonable restrictions imposed by law.

Right to information means that every citizen of Pakistan should be able to know what’s happening in his country. He must be aware of all the important decisions made by the government. He should be aware of new laws. He should know when his government is taking loans or making deals with other countries.

The government can make laws regulating this right. Just because everyone has this right does not mean that each and every information should be available to every citizen. For example, the decisions on national security are considered matters of public importance, but at the same time the public doesn’t need to know about military installations or war strategies. So in this and in other similar cases, the Constitution empowers the government to regulate and put reasonable restrictions on this public right. Similarly, the government can delay some information if it is in national interest, like the negotiations with the I.M.F. or with China, but after closing the deal they have to inform the public about the exact terms.