One-window desk opens for expats at airport

PESHAWAR: Federal Ombudsman M. Salman Faruqui on Monday inaugurated another One-Window Facilitation Desk for the expats here at Bacha Khan International Airport.
He inaugurated the desk. Hafiz Ahsan Ahmad Khokhar, Grievances Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis and Registrar/Advisor Law, Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat, and other officials of the relevant ministries and divisions accompanied him. It was the fourth one. The three others are at the Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi airports.
Briefing on the occasion, Hafiz Khokar said that several key ministries and divisions had been taken on board for resolution of the problems faced by overseas Pakistanis.
He said that Federal Ombudsman M. Salman Faruqui had taken special initiatives for overseas Pakistanis and established Grievance Commissioner Cell for overseas Pakistanis under Section-7 of Federal Ombudsman Institutional Reforms Act-2013. He added all the ambassadors had been asked to fix a day at their relevant embassy for hearing the complaints of Pakistanis abroad.
The official said that in a recent major development the National Flag Career had started announcements during their international flights about One-Window Facilitation Desks at all the major Pakistani international airports.
M. Salman Faruqui said that the main objective of the appointment of Grievance Commissioner for expatriates was to evolve on line complaint handling mechanism for the resolution of individual and collective problems of overseas Pakistanis here in Pakistan as well as abroad.
The One-Window Facilitation Desk at these airports will be represented by 12 stakeholders i.e. the Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Board of Revenue, Federal Investigation Agency, Overseas Employment Corporation, Directorate of Immigration and Passports, Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony, National Database and Registration Authority, Pakistan International Airlines, Bureau of Immigration Overseas Employment, and Anti-Narcotics Force.
These Facilitation Desks will be operational round the clock and the relevant agencies will ensure the presence of officials at the desk. Overseas Pakistanis Foundation and Civil Aviation Authority will act as coordination agencies and will submit regularly weekly report to the heads of Agencies and Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis.