President asks ombudsman to extend outreach of service

Says people suffering from excesses, injustices need to be provided immediate relief

ISLAMABAD:

President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday asked the federal ombudsman (Wafaqi Mohtasib) to intensify its awareness campaign to inform the people about its role in the provision of speedy and cost-effective justice against the maladministration of federal government organisations.

Talking to Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi, who called the presented and presented the annual report-2022 of the institution, the president emphasised the need for strengthening the capacity of the federal ombudsman’s office and enhancing its reach to the far-flung areas of the country to address the grievances of the people at their doorsteps.

He said that people suffering from the excesses and injustices at the hands of the government’s functionaries needed to be provided immediate relief.

Qureshi apprised the president of the role and achievements of the federal ombudsman in providing justice to the people against the maladministration of government organisations during the year 2022. He informed the president that his institution received an unprecedented 164,174 complaints in 2022 as compared to 110,398 in 2021. Wafaqi Mohtasib disposed of 157,770 complaints in 2022 as compared to 106,732 complaints in 2021 which was an increase of 50%.

He said that the phenomenal growth in the number of complaints and swift disposal of cases showed that the people trusted the institution of Mohtasib that was providing them speedy and cost-effective justice.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2023.