PESHAWAR: Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi said here on Monday speedy and inexpensive disposal of complainants was the top priority of his office. Speaking to the media here at his regional office, he said that over 95 per cent of his decisions had been implemented.
“The decisions on remaining five per cent complaints were delayed mostly due to litigation cases in courts and stay orders,” explained the ombudsperson who has served as chief secretary of KP, Sindh, federal secretary Pakistan Railways besides serving at various other senior positions in the past.
Elaborating on the application submission procedure, he said an applicant could submit an application on a simple paper or register his complaint on the office’s online app to get justice. Ejaz Qureshi said the Federal Ombudsman office had the powers to hear complaints against about 200 federal government departments and organizations, adding most complaints come through public services departments such as NADRA, Sui gas, electricity, utility stores, post offices and Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution, etc. He said students’ complaints about the award of scholarships at Allama Iqbal Open University were also received and decided on merit.
The Federal Ombudsman said all the registered complaints were disposed of in two months, adding the law had empowered his office to decide petty nature disputes with the consultation of the rival parties.
Ejaz Qureshi urged the media to spread mass awareness about services being provided by his office to people. “This is needed because as a result of mass awareness campaigns by the media, about a 40 per cent increase in cases registration has been recorded besides a 48 per cent hike in online complainant lodging through the app,” he added. He said about 14 offices of the Federal Ombudsman were operating in Pakistan where our officials were providing speedy relief to complaints.
Ejaz Qureshi added that former bureaucrats and law officers of repute, including former chief justice of the Peshawar High Court, Justice (Retired) Muhammad Raza Khan were providing free legal services to the office for the facilitation of the masses.