PR No. 110
Islamabad: July 16, 2020

President Dr. Arif Alvi while appreciating the performance of Wafaqi Mohtasib stressed on the need of provision of speedy and free of cost justice at the doorstep of the common man during a meeting with Syed Tahir Shahbaz, the Federal Ombudsman at Aiwan-e-Sadr. The Federal Ombudsman briefed the President on the performance of his institution and said that more than 75,000 cases had been disposed of during 2019 while 97% of decisions got implemented. He said that 1039 cases, review petitions were filed to the Wafaqi Mohtasib while in 317 cases; appeals had been filed to the President which constituted 0.4% of total number of cases. He said that President upheld 90% decisions of the Federal Ombudsman. He informed the President that the year 2019 was observed as the year of awareness; therefore, a comprehensive public awareness campaign was run through electronic, print and social media. Due to this campaign, considerable increase in number of cases was recorded in Balochistan, South Punjab and Abbotabad. He said that awareness seminars were also conducted in different universities and remote areas of Balochistan, Bahawalpur, Multan, Lahore, Peshawar and Abbotabad. The Speaker National Assembly, Chairman Senate, Governors of Punjab, Sind, KP and members of parliament were also briefed about the role of Wafaqi Mohtasib. He said that to improve the redressal mechanism, the officers of 10 regional offices of WMS made 370 visits to 72 districts and Sub distt under Outreach Complaint Resolution Programme. He briefed the President that every finding was decided within a period of 60 days and the review petition within 45 days. He further briefed that 247 Federal Agencies were on board; their focal persons had been nominated who were bound to decide a complaint in 30 days. In case the Agency did not decide the case within 30 days the same transferred automatically to the portal of WMS and registered as fresh complaint under Integrated Complaint Resolution (ICR) Mechanism. Syed Tahir Shahbaz further said that from January to June, 2020 more than 47,000 cases had been registered which showed 38% increase than the previous year. He said that corona pandemic had not affected the registration of complaints as sixty per cent of the complaints were registered through online registration system. The Federal Ombudsman apprised the President of the efforts to improve the living conditions of prisoners in jails as per directions of Supreme Court of Pakistan. He said that focus of his office was to improve jail conditions by removing irritants of criminal administration justice system. He informed that presence of a Psychiatrist and a Doctor had been insured in every jail of the country. Mentally sick and addict prisoners had been got segregated from other prisoners in all jails. He said that he had submitted 06 quarterly progress reports to the Supreme Court in this regard after holding 12 meetings with the provincial chief secretaries and other stakeholders. He also apprised the President of his initiatives taken for the welfare of overseas Pakistanis. He said that one window facilitation desks had been established at 08 international airports of Pakistan where officers of 12 departments remain present round the clock to help the overseas Pakistanis. The Honourable President Dr. Arif Alvi while appreciating the performance and special initiatives of Federal Ombudsman expressed the hope that the Federal Ombudsman would continue his efforts to help the people against administrative injustices.

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