FEDERAL Ombudsman Naveed Kamran Baloch has said that his office received 256,000 complaints last year, with the highest number relating to the power sector, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), passports, NADRA and the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI). In an interview, he dwelt upon measures being taken to expand the jurisdiction of the institution and introduce modern technology to facilitate complainants and ensure prompt disposal of cases.
The office of the Federal Ombudsman was created in 1983 to provide citizens with a free, speedy and informal system to resolve grievances against the federal government agencies. It was rightly considered as the poor man’s court where complainants do not require hiring lawyers or waiting for years and even decades for resolution of their grievances. The institution proved its worth by providing relief to almost 1.5 million complaints since its creation. The office of the Ombudsman still has much relevance but with the passage of time the pace of implementation has suffered. The Ombudsman has expressed satisfaction over the nature of cooperation it receives from other agencies and departments. This might be true in the case of minor or personal complaints but most of the organizations avoid implementation on different pretexts despite clear cut verdicts and directions by the Presidency, which hears appeals against Ombudsman’s orders. With this in view, establishment of a separate implementation wing was a welcome development but given the lackluster and stubborn attitude of the bureaucracy, the Ombudsman will have to exercise effectively its powers to issue contempt notices and initiate proceedings against dodgers. His office should also take up the issue of rising number of complaints against public dealing organizations with their heads as this is also reflective of lack of proper oversight in these organizations.
