Wafaqi Mohtasib disposes of 130,112 complaints in 2020

ISLAMABAD: Federal Ombudsman Syed Tahir Shahbaz has said that his office received the highest ever number of complaints during 2020 as 133,521 complaints and disposed of 130,112 complaints.

“This was the result of its robust awareness campaign launched in the entire country, especially in the far flung areas of Pakistan and Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat on the advice of the president, initiated a number of innovative techniques through traditional and social media to increase awareness among the general public about the use of services being offered,” he said while addressing a press conference in his office here on Thursday.

Federal ombudsman said that as a result of the awareness campaign online complaints jumped from 11,289 in 2019 to 77,930 in the year 2020. He said that despite the outbreak of COVID-19 and consequential squeezing of operations, almost all the complaints were processed and decided within the statutory period of 60 days.

He said that 55,591 complaints were received through post or by hand whereas, 16,650 complaints were registered through website, 5,999 through Mobile App and 55,281 through Integrated Complaint Resolution System (ICRS).

He said that under the Outreach Complaints Resolution (OCR) Programme, 6,113 complaints were disposed of in the year notwithstanding the temporary suspension or subdued operation of OCR from April to July, 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Syed Tahir Shahbaz said that speedy and free of cost justice is being delivered at the doorsteps of the people by the institution of Wafaqi Mohtasib. He said that 89% findings have been implemented during 2020.

He said 1,103 review petitions were filed, either by the complainants or the agencies concerned, against the findings of the Wafaqi Mohtasib in 130,112 disposed of during the year. “The review petitions constituted only 0.84% of the total complaints decided,” he said.

He said that only 370 representations were filed to the president which is only 0.28% of the decided complaints. He said that another Regional Office of WMS has recently been established in Kharan, Balochistan to facilitate the people of the area to get their grievances resolved. He said that he undertook periodic visits of a maximum number of regional offices to oversee and monitor the performance of investigating officers.

He also paid visits to One Window Facilitation Desks at airports to monitor and streamline their functioning for the facilitation of overseas Pakistanis. The Federal Ombudsman also said that to streamline the systemic issues of CDA, FGEHA, PHA and National Police Foundation to ensure standardised construction work/development facilities and provision of hospital facilities in the new housing sectors.