The Hon’ble Federal Ombudsman, Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi has emphasized upon his Investigating Officers of Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat to intensify their efforts to provide maximum relief to complainants. He directed his officers to ensure transparency, fair play and quick disposal of their work. He made it clear that only the efficient, hardworking and honest officers would be appointed and contracts of the officers currently working would be renewed only if they demonstrate these qualities. He said that strict measures should be taken against those officials of the agencies who fail in implementation of Ombudsman orders.  He was addressing the Investigating Officers of WMS at Regional Office, Peshawar.

Addressing the Peshawar Chamber of Commerce & Industry, he said that the Institution of Wafaqi Mohtasib is a poor man’s court and strives to expeditiously resolve small and petty cases / disputes of the lower strata which cannot afford to go to courts or afford a lawyer; and to address systemic issues.  He said that the WMS will ensure protection of public rights by taking new initiatives and through suo motu actions.  He said that the primary mandate of the WMS is to redress public grievances against maladministration of more than 200 Federal Government Agencies. He further said that Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat has disposed of 1.7 million complaints since its inception 39 years ago.  He said that his Office received 110, 398 complaints and disposed of 106,732 complaints during 2021 and 92.7% findings were implemented by the Federal Government Agencies. Besides, on the advice of the Honourable President the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat has initiated a number of innovative techniques through traditional and social media to increase awareness among the general public about the use of services being offered by the Wafaqi Mohtasib.   He said that WMS received 42,240 online complaints. He said that every case in WMS is disposed of within 60 days.  He further said that to resolve the public grievances at their door step of the aggrieved persons our regional offices in KP are working at Peshawar, D.I.Khan & Abbottabad and more Regional Offices of WMS are being established at Swat, Gilgit-Baltistan, Mirpur Khas and at Khuzdar.  He called upon the business community and general public to avail the facility of the cost free and easily accessible system of the Office of Wafaqi Mohtasib for resolution of their grievances against the Federal Agencies. Assuring best services to the public at large, he stated that the Helpline of the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat was available for the aggrieved citizens.  He further informed that he took charge of the position of Wafaqi Mohtasib only about two months before; and during this short period more than 16,500 complaints have been disposed of.  Moreover, under the Outreach Complaint Resolution Programe (OCR), around 1300 complaints have been disposed of near the door steps of the complainants since 1.1.2022.