Awareness-raising campaign and regional offices role: Ombudsman Secretariat registers increase in case filing

PESHAWAR: The effective awareness-raising campaign launched by the Provincial Ombudsman Secretariat and the role of its regional offices have led to an increase in the number of complaints being filed by the citizens to get grievances addressed free of any cost.

This was stated by the officials while speaking at the monthly meeting of the secretariat chaired by Provincial Ombudsman Syed Jamal Ud Din Shah on Wednesday, said a communication.

The assistant director of IT presented a detailed presentation on the cases processed last month.

The participants were informed that in May the Provincial Ombudsman Secretariat had seen a significant increase in the number of complaints.

The increase was attributed to the effective awareness-raising campaign launched and the role played by the regional offices as well as the Media Cell which motivated the people to file complaints for redress.

Keeping in view the efficacy of the drive, it was pointed out that the second phase of the awareness-raising campaign would be conducted in Mansehra, Battagram, Haripur and Swabi districts.

Provincial Ombudsman Syed Jamal Ud Din Shah appreciated the work of his team. He asked the staff to continue with the same spirit to provide relief to the citizens.

“Administrative accountability and the preventive measures for stopping the abuse of authority are vital for good governance,” he said, adding that it was the constitutional right of every citizen to file complaints against the misuse of power and authority by any government department.

Syed Jamal Ud Din Shah said the Provincial Ombudsman Secretariat had followed since its inception the steps to enhance efficiency and to produce qualitative results to the satisfaction of the complainants.

“Ensure inexpensive and expeditious justice to the complainants to get their grievances addressed within a specific period enunciated in the Ombudsman Act,” said while addressing the investigative officers and senior advisors of the secretariat.

The Ombudsman said the cases already pending with different courts should not be entertained for being court cases as such cases did not fall in our domain as per the Ombudsman Act.

He explained that on many occasions, people lodged complaints simultaneously at the Ombudsman Secretariat as well as in the lower or high courts, ignoring the fact that they were not eligible to file complaints at the Ombudsman Secretariat if they had already filed these cases in the lower and high courts.

Syed Jamal Ud Din Shah praised the role of KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry for playing his role in implementing the decisions made by the Ombudsman Secretariat in all government departments along with nominating focal persons in departments for a follow-up.

The Ombudsperson appreciated the Implementation Wing of the secretariat for quick disposal of cases and successful implementation at the government departmental level.