‘Accountability institutions need improvement’

LAHORE: Accountability institutions are providing relief to people but still room for further improvement exists and further steps are required to resolve public issues.
These views were expressed by the experts in Jang Economic Session on ‘Role of accountability institutions in resolving public complaints and issues’. The panellists were Abdul Basit Khan, Rana Amanullah, Imtiaz Cheema, Ayesha Hamid, Makhdoom Iftikhar Ahmed, and Akbar Ali Khan while the session was hosted by Sikandar Lodhi.
Abdul Basit Khan said that accountability institutions were playing a role of courts for the poor where they got justice on a simple complaint. He said currently 12 accountability institutions in country were addressing issues like women rights, insurance, pension, banking and other public grievances. He said in 2013 NAB had decided 74,000 cases and 77,000 in 2014. He said on average accountability institutions decided 16,583 cases ever year.
Rana Amanullah said the NAB was established in 1983 after which provincial governments also established their accountability institutions. He said Punjab ombudsman had decided 26,662 cases in 2014 while expanded the limits to district and tehsil levels.
Imtiaz Cheema said that ombudsman’s responsibility was to provide easy and quick justice without any prejudice. He said accountability institutions were practically bridging the gap between rulers and departments, but there was a need to make these institutions more effective in order to reduce the social and economic issues. He suggested establishment of high-level commission to resolve public complaints quickly. He called for appointment of competent officers in accountability institutions.
Ayesha Hamid said that accountability institutions were established to quickly redress public grievances without spending money while efforts were made in Musharraf era to improve the performance. She said public awareness about these institutions was crucial besides improving the service quality and credibility. She said non-implementation of accountability institutions actions by the government departments was the major hurdle to resolve public issues which compelled the public to approach the court. She suggested empowering accountability institutions unbiased, and effective.
Makhdoom Iftikhar Ahmed said that accountability institutions did not exist in the world while all powers were centric to rulers. He said China and Korea had given thoughts of providing relief to public through accountability while in Sweden first formal accountability institution was established. He said accountability institutions of Pakistan were unable to maintain quality of service level likewise other departments. He called for making them effective through work rather than publicity.
Akbar Ali Khan said that the accountability institutions were resolving the public grievances, which was positive. He said public issues were not resolved due to complex judicial system of Pakistan.