PWD ignores Federal Ombudsman’s direction

Islamabad

The Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak PWD) has apparently ignored the Federal Ombudsman’s direction for payment of GP Fund and other dues to bed-ridden Shafique Ahmed Abbasi, 86, who has been waiting for payment of dues for the last almost five decades. He has served Pak PWD as sub-engineer.

Abbasi was rushed Thursday to a hospital in critical condition. He is one of those, who have fallen victim to the cruel and indifference system. Who else will be in dire need of money than this sick old man, having no energy left in his limbs to get up from his bed and sit on his own.

“The miseries faced by Shafique Abbasi suggest that a government employee should never fall ill and become old, as these two reasons push him towards almost nothingness,” commented a friend of Abbasi, who has been privy to his entire sorry episode.

The National Commission for Human Rights, Justice (r) Ali Nawaz Chowhan, will also begin hearing the case of Abbasi from August 8 (Monday). It is pertinent to mansion that the commission itself is fighting for its status and role, as a parallel system is reportedly being installed by issuance of an executive order. It is also quite debatable that this forum also give its order in favour of Abbasi and it might not be implemented.

It was learnt that PWD is adamant on not paying a penny to him, as it has lost record of his service and now blame is shifted from one official to another. In its order of June 6, 2016, the Federal Ombudsman, Salman Faruqui, had asked for payment of dues to Abbasi and submission of the compliance report within 30 days. But till to date, nothing has happened as regards to compliance of his order. A copy of the order was also dispatched to superintendent engineer North Zone, PWD, Islamabad.

A report was published in this newspaper on April 20 this year about the plight of the sick old man. The matter was taken up by the Federal Ombudsman by converting this news item as a review petition and notices were accordingly issued.

The order, a copy of which is available with ‘The News’, states that the case was heard on June 19. The agency representative did not appear. No was the complainant present, which is understandable, being bed-ridden.

“Perusal of the record indicated that the agency has made no effort to really trace out the complainant’s case and one office of the agency is putting the responsibility on another office and back and forth, to trace the complainant’s record. The agency by not attending the hearing despite service of notice has also indicated its disinterest in this matter. Mal-administration is evident,” it said.

In its final recommendations for implementation, the Federal Ombudsman said that the director general of Pak PWD, who is the appointing authority for the post of sub-engineer, is advised immediately to depute a senior officer specially tasked to dig out the record of Shafique Abbasi and process his case for payment of his dues as admissible under the rules.

The order carries signatures of senior advisors Nusrat Bashir, Taimur Asmat Osman and advisor Tariq Imam.