The 22nd Meeting of Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman 

The 22nd Meeting of Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman (FPO) was held on 21st June, 2019 at PC Hotel, Bhurban Murree, which was chaired by the Hon’ble Wafaqi Mohtasib, Mr. Tahir Shahbaz, and coordinated by Mr. Abdul Khaliq, Secretary FPO.

The following six items/Agenda was discussed:-

1. Opening remarks of the Chair

2. updated position of responses on Article 7 (Voting Members) of the Statutes of OICOA, with respect to position taken by Pakistan.

3. Election strategy for the Board of Directors of OIC Ombudman Association(OICOA)

4. Permission for International Conference and Workshops(Proposal by Provincial Mohtasib Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

5. Matters related with Protection Against Harrassment of Women at the Workplace Punjab.

6. Any other items, which the Chair or any member of the Forum may like to discuss.

The meeting was commenced with the recitation from the Holy Qur’an. Mr. Tahir Shahbaz welcomed the participants and apprised them on the purpose of the Meeting. Ms. Rakhshanda Naz have recently joined as Provincial Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace, KPK and Mr. Kamran Shahzad as Federal Ombudsman Banking. The Chair greeted them for joining the Forum and hoped their presence would further strengthen the Ombudsmanship in Pakistan.

The Secretary of the Forum apprised the Hon’ble Members on the background of the Agenda Item No. II. The Statues of OICOA were approved by the General Assembly of  OIC Ombudsman Association (OICOA) in its Meeting held in Istanbul in September 2017 except the Article 7a which was  deferred for the consideration of the Steering committee in Sudan. The Steering Committee (OICOA) was apprised, at its Meeting in Sudan, that the Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman (FPO) had held a meeting to find some solution to this unresolved issue: whether voting Rights should be allocated to 12 Institutions of Pakistan who had been the Founding Members of the Association or some other criteria could be adopted. Since all the Ombudsman Institutions in Pakistan have separate laws/acts and independent jurisdictions with financial and administrative autonomy and all of them happened to be the Founding Members,

the Forum could not find justification or a cogent reason to deprive any of them of the Voting Rights. However, two alternate proposals considered by the Steering Committee were apprised to the Forum.

Group Photo of the some participants of 22nd  Meeting of the Forum of Pakistan Ombudsmen held on 21st June , 2019 at PC Hotel, Bhurban Murree