Geo correspondent Azaz Syed wins RTI award

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 27 September 2016

Geo correspondent Azaz Syed has been awarded the Champion Award for his extensive use of the Right to Information law. The award was presented by the Coalition of Right to Information during a ceremony at the National Press Club.
Summary

ISLAMABAD: Azaz Syed, a correspondent with Geo Television, was Monday honored for his extensive use of the Right to Information law.

The Coalition of Right to Information (CRTI) in partnership with Center for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) gave the Champion Award to the journalist who exercised this right at the federal and provincial levels. Each year two awards are given away – one in journalists’ category and the other in the citizens’ category.

Sarmad Ali, a lawyer, won the award in the citizens’ category.

Azaz filed over 200 requests to different public bodies of the federal government and the provinces. These became the source of his stories on presidency, foreign ministry and prison department.

On the other hand Sarmad submitted his RTI requests to different educational institutions.

Pervez Rashid, Federal Minister for Information Senator Pervaiz Rashid presided the awards ceremony at the National Press Club.

The awards committee comprised Sayed Liaquat Banori (Society for Human Rights and Prisoners Aid), Nadeem Iqbal (Network for Consumer Protection in Pakistan), Tauqeer Mustafa (Punjab Lok Sujag), Muhammad Anwar (Centre for Governance and Public Accountability),and Natalia Tariq (Open Society Foundation Pakistan).

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