• Wafaqi Mohtasib opens AOA webinar on the shared principles of ombudsmanship and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

• Ombudsman institutions play key role in achieving the international development goals and targets – Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi.

Islamabad: 14 July, 2025 – Wafaqi Mohtasib, Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, has said that the ombudsmanship and the UN Sustainable Development Goals pursue shared principles and purposes which together constitute the agenda for global action. He was inaugurating a webinar organized by the Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA) in cooperation with the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat at Islamabad today. Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi is the current President of the Asian Ombudsman Association which is a 47-member strong non-political, professional body of ombudsman institutions in the Asian region.

Addressing the participants, Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi said that the ombudsman institutions play a critical role in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He added that the efficient delivery of public services, respect for the rule of law, promotion and protection of human rights remain fundamental to the principles and purposes of ombudsmanship and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi further added that the mandate of the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s institution is not limited to redressal of grievances alone, but also provides for ascertaining the root causes of maladministration, bad governance, arbitrary and discriminatory practices in public administration at all levels. He said that so far, 80 studies have been conducted which led to long term reforms and fixed the systemic issues faced by the general public. Inspection visits of public agencies against whom frequent complaints are received has greatly contributed towards identifying the shortcomings and developing a culture of fairness, equality and professional propriety, he added.

Dr. Ashfaque Hasan Khan, Director General, National Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Science & Technology (NUST), Islamabad in his keynote address, stated that the people are the ultimate stakeholders in all development efforts including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He emphasized the need for stepping up cooperation between the ombudsman institutions and the UN Agencies for realizing the core values of the two programmes.

The Webinar was attended by over one hundred participants representing Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA), OIC Ombudsman Association (OICOA), the Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman (FPO), academia and members of civil society at home and abroad.