Mr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput, Provincial Ombudsman Sindh, has been elected as the Asian Regional Director to the Board of Directors of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI).

The IOI General Secretariat conducted an electronic ballot to fill the vacant Asian seat on the IOI Board. Out of 19 eligible voting members from the Asian Region, 17 participated in the election. Mr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput received the majority of votes.

This remarkable achievement highlights Pakistan’s growing leadership role within the global Ombudsman community and underscores the trust placed in Sohail Rajput’s experience, vision, and commitment to strengthening accountability and administrative justice across the region.

Mr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput. On this prestigious international appointment looks forward to his continued contributions toward enhancing cooperation, transparency, and institutional excellence within the Asian Region.

The Office of the Ombudsman Punjab continues to strengthen women’s empowerment by safeguarding their lawful financial rights and addressing long-standing administrative delays. During the reporting period, the Ombudsman Punjab successfully resolved multiple pension-related complaints filed by women, ensuring timely relief and financial security.

In two notable cases, the Ombudsman’s intervention led to the release of over Rs. 120 million in delayed pension dues. Rs. 1.15 Crore for a long-pending family pension to an unmarried daughter of a deceased government servant and Rs. 4.49 Million outstanding pension arrears to a retired female employee. Through effective coordination and strict enforcement of pension rules, these cases were resolved after years of inaction at the departmental level.

These interventions highlight the Ombudsman Punjab’s commitment to protecting women from maladministration, promoting financial independence, and ensuring dignity, transparency, and accountability in public service delivery.

According to the Public Relations of the General Inspection Organization (GIO), in his message
Dr. Khodaeiyan congratulated the Organization’s diligent researchers as well as all researchers, professors and thinkers working in the fields of administrative integrity and anti-corruption. He emphasized that problem-oriented, applied research grounded in society’s real needs has a decisive effect on improving administrative efficiency.

He noted that effective prevention of corruption and the reform of administrative processes are not possible without up-to-date knowledge, scientific analysis and the engagement of academic capacities. On this basis, The General Inspection Organization (GIO) has consistently pursued a science-driven approach, reliance on research evidence, and constructive cooperation with academic institutions as key elements of its decision-making and policy development.

Referring to the emphasis of the Supreme Leader, Dr. Khodaeiyan expressed hope that impactful research and the production of indigenous knowledge in the field of administrative integrity and anti-corruption will expand within the Organization.

He concluded by wishing all researchers in this field continued success, vitality and perseverance in their pursuit of knowledge and service.

Full text of the message:

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Research and Technology Week is an excellent opportunity to honor the role of science, research and critical thinking in the advancement of the administrative system. I congratulate the diligent researchers of The General Inspection Organization (GIO) and all researchers, professors and thinkers across the country working on administrative integrity and anti-corruption. I firmly believe that problem-oriented, applied research based on society’s real needs plays a decisive role in enhancing the efficiency of the administrative system. Undoubtedly, effective and informed action to prevent corruption and to reform administrative processes cannot be achieved without contemporary knowledge, scientific analysis and the use of academic capacities. Accordingly, The General Inspection Organization (GIO) has always followed a science-centered approach, the use of research evidence, and constructive engagement with academic centers as central pillars of its decision-making and policymaking.

In light of the Supreme Leader’s guidance, I hope to witness an expansion of impactful research and the development of indigenous knowledge in the field of administrative integrity and anti-corruption within The General Inspection Organization (GIO).

I pray for success, dynamism and perseverance for all researchers in this field.

Khodaeiyan

The President

• Recognition of Hard Work promotes efficiency, healthy spirit of competition – Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi
• Addresses Award Distribution Ceremony at the Head Office, Islamabad.

Islamabad: 23 December 2025 – The Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman), Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi has said that recognizing and rewarding hard work and outstanding performance in national institutions is a potent means of promoting efficiency and infusing a healthy spirit of competition. ‘Hardworking, conscientious and devoted officers and staff members are the precious asset of such organizations’, he observed.

He was addressing an award distribution ceremony organized at the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat, Islamabad in connection with distribution of performance-based awards and merit certificates to the Officers and staff members, who have consistently performed well during the last couple of years. The ceremony was attended by the Officers and staff members belonging to the Head Office at Islamabad apart from those from the province of Baluchistan and GB.

He said that the institution of Wafaqi Mohtasib was progressing by leaps and bounds over the years and it owes its achievements to the unwavering commitment of its Officers and staff members, who have been serving this organization with utmost sincerity, honesty, devotion and dedication. He said that the public trust and confidence enjoyed by the institution was the result of our impeccable record of service. He urged them to continue working with the same devotion so that the organization could retain the public trust.

He said that the Wafaqi Mohtasib Office decided complaints upto the tune of Rs.9.46 billion in financial terms, adding that we have so far decided more than 252,000 cases during the current year.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib further stated that the Institution decided 1,717,099 complaints during 38 years since its inception from 1983 to 2021, whereas during the last four years i.e. 2022-2025, it decided more than 850,000 complaints relating to maladministration, which itself is a record. He said that this outstanding feat was made possible only by the sustained hard work of the Officers and staff members.

Here it may be pointed out that the Wafaqi Mohtasib Office for the first time in its history, instituted performance-based awards including shields and commendation certificates for high achievers to recognize their services for the institution with the sole purpose of promoting efficiency. A high powered committee comprising senior Officers of the Secretariat made its recommendations against a rigorous criteria, which included number of cases received and resolved, OCR and Khuli Katcheries held, Inspection Visits carried out etc.

The Macao youth team, which won the gold award in the “Coding4Integrity Asian Youth Anti-Corruption Hackathon”, was recently invited to Doha, Qatar, to present their winning digital anti-corruption solution at a special event of the Conference of the State Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). They also achieved excellent results in another international digital anti-corruption solution design competition held there. The CCAC expressed that it felt encouraged that the youth representatives it selected were able to leverage technology to support integrity development and gain international recognition. The CCAC will continue to actively align with the policies of the country and the Macao SAR, strongly support Macao’s youth in broadening their international perspectives and contributing their strengths to anti-corruption efforts of both the country and Macao.

Members of the Macao Team, Sam Ka Lok, Loi Nga Hei and Cai Pei Jun, went to Doha between 14^th and 18^th December. On the first two days, they first participated in the digital anti-corruption solution design competition “Hackathon of Hackathons” organised by the Global Resource for Anti-Corruption Education and Youth Empowerment (GRACE) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Knowledge Foundation where they competed and exchanged with winning teams of digital anti-corruption solution design competitions from around the world. 13 teams, which included the Macao Team, had to build an initial learning platform and teaching tools on anti-corruption topics. Eventually, the Macao Team, with its intellect and creativity, was selected as one of the super teams by the organisers, which will assist and participate in the development of AI teaching tools by the UNODC in the future. In addition, by virtue of its outstanding performance, the Macao Team was elected as the best team by other participating teams, which fully demonstrates that the capability of Macao young people have gained international and peer affirmation.

Subsequently, at the special event “Youth Engagement x InTECHgrity: Leading the Way to Cleaner Futures” of the Conference of the States Parties to the UNCAC held on the 17^th December, the Macao Team introduced its digital anti-corruption solution which won the gold award in the “Coding4Integrity Asian Youth Anti-Corruption Hackathon” to anti-corruption experts and representatives from different places and shared what they learned and experienced during the course of the competition, which was highly commended by the participants.

Members of the Macao team felt honored to represent Macao, China, on the international stage. They believed that this rare opportunity to exchange ideas with talent from around the world on AI-powered anti-corruption efforts was highly beneficial. They will follow the country’s global cooperation direction, seize the development trend of technology-driven efficiency and continue to tell good stories of China and Macao. The aforesaid Macao youth team stood out in the Macao selection competition of the “Coding4Integrity Asian Youth Anti-Corruption Hackathon” held by the CCAC earlier, and then defeated contestants from multiple Asian countries and regions in the international competition held in Hong Kong, becoming the only team to successfully secure the opportunity to demonstrate their capability on the United Nations stage.

On 18 November 2025, at the next plenary meeting of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, the legislative proposal to amend the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Detention during Criminal Proceedings,” introduced under the Ombudsman’s right of legislative initiative, was discussed.

At the meeting, Ombudsman F. Eshmatova delivered a report outlining the reasons for submitting the proposals and their legal basis.

It was emphasized that, based on monitoring visits conducted by the Ombudsman and affiliated public groups, as well as on the analysis of incoming appeals, the proposal provides for revising certain rules currently applied to persons held in remand centers, with a view to improving the satisfaction of their daily needs and strengthening humanitarian standards.

The report noted an increase in appeals from detainees concerning permission to receive additional clothing and footwear on rest days and public holidays, and to take walks lasting at least two hours on such days.

Accordingly, the draft proposes to supplement existing norms by guaranteeing persons held in remand centers the right to walks of at least two hours on rest days and public holidays, and to spend up to one minimum monthly wage per month on food and essential items.

In preparing the proposals, practices of the USA, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Canada, and several CIS countries were studied, and the need to align national legislation with internationally accepted standards was underlined.

It was noted that consideration of the proposal in the Legislative Chamber would help effectively implement constitutional principles of humanity, respect for honor and dignity, and other rights as supreme values; facilitate the rehabilitation of persons deprived of liberty; and further harmonize national legislation with international practice.

The legislative proposal was approved by the deputies at the meeting, and the corresponding decision was adopted.

On November 12, 2025, the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, participated in the international conference held in Baku – “The Constitution and the Rule of Law in Modern Legal Systems”.

Speaking at the event, Levan Ioseliani noted that as a result of the Public Defender’s appeals, many laws and subordinate acts have come into compliance with the Constitution, however, it is important to carefully analyze the situation in this area. He also spoke about the need to protect the Public Defender and the Constitutional Court from politicization and emphasized the importance of the Public Defender’s institution as part of the human rights system.

“We are trying to focus on issues of concern for citizens and ensure protection of their rights. My goal is for the public to have high trust in the activities of the Public Defender and his office. Ultimately, I believe that the most important role of Public Defenders is to contribute to the formation of a more stable and democratic environment in society,” the Public Defender of Georgia said at one of the panels, where constitutional principles as a path to the rule of law were discussed.

The Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Tatarstan received an application from a resident of the village of Vysoka Gora – citizen N. The applicant told about the difficulties faced by families living in the residential complex «Atmosphere». Thus, due to the lack of a school bus driver, children were not able to get to school and the construction of a road directly connecting the residential complex with the educational institution was postponed.

In view of the above, and with a view to protecting children’s right to accessible education, I have requested the Executive Committee of the High Mountain Municipality to consider the matter and take the necessary measures.

As a result of the work done, all the necessary measures have been taken. The school bus route was approved: Vysokogorskaya Secondary School No. 6 named after Kh. Gabashi – Atmosfera residential complex – Vysokogorskaya Secondary School No. 6 named after Kh. Gabashi. Today, the bus runs regularly along the route, providing children with a safe and comfortable way to school and back.

A Legal Aid Day for Convicts was held at Penal Colony No. 19 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan.

Representatives of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan, the Ministry of Justice of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Kazan Employment Center, the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Protection of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Pension and Social Insurance Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan, and the Military Commissariat of the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as a lawyer and a notary, provided consultations.

A total of ten convicts have asked for advice. They were concerned about medical and pension benefits, commutation of the unserved portion of their sentence to a more lenient sentence, disability registration, changing the type of sentence due to disability, and issues related to disagreements with the court verdict and the medical and social assessment decision. All requests were carefully reviewed, and the applicants received the necessary clarifications.

Such activities help people in detention to better understand their rights and legal opportunities, as well as prepare for reintegration into society. I am sure that timely legal support is an important step on the way to successful re-socialization!

– ACRC published the results of inspection into employment status of 1,612 public officials including those dismissed for corruption over the past five years

– Most cases involved employment at companies related to their duties held while in office…

– For three still illegally employed individuals, the Commission requested that their employment should be terminated

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan) has carried out an inspection into the employment status of 1,612 public officials in the first half of this year, who were dismissed for corruption while serving in public institutions or were sentenced to fines of 3 million won or more after leaving office for corruption-related acts (hereinafter “dismissed-for-corruption officials”) within the past five years. As a result of the inspection, the Commission found 11 individuals who violated employment restriction regulations.

* Dismissed-for-corruption officials are prohibited for five years from reemployment at public institutions, organizations related to the corruption, or for-profit companies closely related to the department (institution) where they served (Act on the Prevention of Corruption and the Establishment and Operation of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Article 82)

Among the violators, eight were employed by for-profit firms related to their official duties that they had held while in public office, two by public institutions, and one by an organization related to the corrupt conduct.

Their former employers before dismissal were central administrative agencies (3), local governments (3), and public service-related organizations (5).

Major cases of violation include the following: A former public official A at a central government agency was dismissed in Dec. 2023 for embezzlement and subsequently landed a job at a firm that had been evaluated and inspected by the division where he previously served, receiving 4.76 million won in monthly pay.

A former central government official B was sentenced to imprisonment for accepting entertainment and for instigating disclosure of confidential information, and afterward he received 12 million won as consulting fees from a firm that provided entertainment and later worked at a public institution earning 4.26 million in monthly wage.

A former local government official C was dismissed in June 2023 for bribery, and then employed by a company from which his former department had procured from, receiving 4.35 million won per month.

For seven out of the 11 illegally employed individuals, the Commission requested the heads of the institutions that these individuals had previously served to refer them to investigative authorities on charges of violating the post-employment restriction regulation for dismissed-for-corruption officials*.

* Violation carries up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine up to 20 million won (Act on the Prevention of Corruption and the Establishment and Operation of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Article 89)

It turned out that of the seven referral targets, four have since retired from their jobs, but three remain illegally employed.

The Commission therefore demanded the heads of the firms to which the dismissed-for-corruption officials belong to that measures be taken to have those three removed from their positions.

Kim Eung Tae, Director General of the Inspection and Protection Bureau of the ACRC, said, “We will put more efforts into strict enforcement of the post-employment restriction system for dismissed-for-corruption officials in order for public officials remain vigilant against corruption so that a trustworthy public office can be established.”