The law ministry has rejected an application seeking details of the legal team hired to prosecute former army ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on treason charges, and the fees paid to them by saying that its a classified matter, thus can’t be held answerable by common citizens Geo News reported.

According to the details, Mukhtar Ahmed Ali, the applicant, had sought the details under the Right of Access to Information Act 2017, commonly known as RTI law. Mukhtar wanted to know how judiciously the money contributed by public through their taxes is being used by the ministry.

Mukhtar Ali said, the ministry declared him ineligible to post such inquiries. The ministry in its reply referred to a Cabinet Division notification’s issued in 1993, but it did not explain or share the contents of the notification. The reply also stated that the ministry has claimed exemption by saying it has been declared “classified, therefore, your request is hereby declined on this aspect”.

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Ali had earlier sought answers to four questions, asking for the list of the members of the prosecution team, and relevant law firms engaged for Pervaiz Musharraf’s trial under Article 6 of the Constitution and the fees paid to them.

He further sought details of out-of-pocket expenses (e.g. travel, lodging, meal) reimbursed to them and asked for the fee break-up paid to each member of the legal team.

After the ministry’s refusal, Mukhtar has approached Pakistan Information Commission (PIC), an appellant body set up under the RTI law for dealing with the complaints lodged by the applicants against the government.

In a rejoinder sent to the law ministry, Mukhtar said his application has been rejected without being given due consideration as the authorities “has not even bothered to consider Article 19A and the (Right of Access to Information) Act in the course of deciding my application.”