HIGHLIGHTING the performance of his institution at a news conference on Monday, Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi said that out of 110,398 complaints received during the year 2021, 106,732 were disposed of, and that 92.7 percent findings were implemented by the agencies.
Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi assumed the responsibilities of federal ombudsman just last month and given his vast exposure of working at several federal and provincial positions including within in the Ombudsman as Senior Adviser/Chief of Appraisal and National Commissioner for Children, we believe he is better placed to effectively take forward the institution as per the modern day requirements in order to come up to the expectations of the poor masses.
Undoubtedly, the Ombudsman Office, ever since its establishment almost thirty nine years ago, has greatly evolved as a vibrant institution to provide relief to the common man.
Ombudsman is rightly considered as a poor man’s court which dispenses free of cost justice in a very speedy manner.
Its purpose is to institutionalize a system for enforcing administrative accountability, through investigating and rectifying any injustice done to a person through maladministration by public sector departments.
The Mohtasib is empowered to award compensation to those who have suffered loss or damage as a result of maladministration.
In recent times, however, an impression is being created about the institution that it does not mostly give decisions against the federal or provincial agencies because most of them serving in ombudsman as Advisers are the retired employees of different departments.
This impression is also being created by those working at various capacities within the Ombudsman.
If this is so, then it will badly shake the confidence of masses who consider it as a last resort to get free justice.
It is a matter of satisfaction that the new Federal Ombudsman has some innovative ideas to improve the performance of his institution as whilst addressing news conference, he stated that suo motu notices will also be taken keeping in view the public interest as well as he has also constituted an advisory committee comprising ex Ombudsmen and personalities from the law to make institution more efficient.
We hope that Federal Ombudsman will do the needful to keep intact confidence of masses on this important institution of justice.
