KP to expand Provincial Ombudsman Secretariat services

PESHAWAR: The KP government has agreed to expand the Provincial Ombudsman Secretariat services by establishing regional offices in the districts.

According to a communication issued on Sunday, the commitment was made by Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, Aftab Alam Afridi, during his visit to the secretariat where he received a briefing.

“The minister appreciated the role of Provincial Ombudsman Regional Office and agreed to expand the services to other districts to provide an easy approach to people there to get grievances addressed,” said the communication, adding it was the first visit of the minister after assuming his responsibilities.

The minister said the Provincial Ombudsman Secretariat was doing a commendable job by carrying out the assigned tasks.He was all praise for Provincial Ombudsman Syed Jamaluddin Shah and said that a significant increase in the number of complaints pointed to the public confidence in the institution.

“It is the institution where one can get prompt and inexpensive relief in a short period without hiring any legal lawyer,” said the minister while spotlighting the efficacy of the institution.

Aftab Alam commended the investigation officers’ work for speedy disposal of cases. “Keep the focus on qualitatively dealing with the cases without succumbing to any pressure,” he advised the staff.

The minister praised the role of Syed Jamalud Din Shah for leading a dedicated team to provide speedy justice to the citizens who were short of financial means.Earlier, upon his arrival at the Ombudsman Secretariat, Syed Jamaluddin Shah, along with other senior staff, welcomed the minister.

The ombudsman briefed the minister on the working of the office established under an act in the year 2010 to provide speedy justice to aggrieved persons through simple mechanisms to address the complaints.

He dwelt on the activities accomplished so far, adding that the percentage of the disposal of cases remained over 77 percent. The minister was presented with a souvenir and a set of annual reports of the Provincial Ombudsman Secretariat.