'Federal government officers allowed to exercise Ombudsman's powers

Officers from almost 83 departments of federal government have been allowed to exercise powers of Federal Ombudsman in order to resolve the public complaints of mal-administration related to their concerned department positively within 15 days, disclosed Federal Ombudsman Salman Farooqi. He was addressing a function in Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) here on Wednesday. Officers of Federal Ombudsman Secretariat and the local business community were also present on the occasion.
He said that office of the Federal Ombudsman is present in Faisalabad since long and efforts have been made to make it more effective and service oriented. Continuing, Salman Farooqi said that earlier the appeals filed with Federal Ombudsman Office were resolved in months. However, now the Federal Ombudsman has voluntarily decided to dispose of these complaints within 7 days. He said that in 2014, the appeals were decided in 60 days while in 2016 the scope of Federal Ombudsman was expanded to 130 districts and 500 Tehsils across the country. "This arrangement was made in only those Districts and Tehsils where at least 10 or more than 10 complaints are filed," he added.
He told that from this year, a new system for the complaint resolution has been introduced under which the officers from different federal government departments are selected and allowed to exercise the powers of Ombudsman to resolve the public complaints. He told that FPCCI, Federal Ombudsman and Tax Ombudsman had inked a MoU under which the officers of Ombudsman Secretariat visit FPCCI offices in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta and Peshawar to redress the complaints of business community on the spot. He told that full time grievance commissioners have also been appointed to resolve the complaints. He told that he is ready to appoint an officer to visit FCCI and resolve their complaints then and there if space was provided to him. He clarified that the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat can also hear the complaints related to tax mal administration. Regarding appeal against the decisions of Federal Ombudsman, he said that wherever the system of Ombudsman is working, the appeals against its decisions are filed either to the concerned Parliament or its President. He said that in Pakistan if President fails to review the decisions of Ombudsman, then the decision of Federal Ombudsman will prevail.
Earlier, in his welcome address SVP FCCI Rana Sikandar Azam underlined the importance of the dispensation of justice and said that our judicial system needs radical improvements as the existing system is neither in accordance with the Islamic principles nor it ensures immediate dispensation of justice at the doorstep of the complainant. He said that in the prevailing scenario Federal Ombudsman has made historic decisions which have ensured speedy justice to the masses on a plane paper. Regarding section 38-A and 40-B of Sales Tax Act, he said that no doubt the it is part of the finance bill yet if anybody has complaints of mal administration by concerned officer, he could contact his office and he will try his best to compensate his genuine grievances.
Sarah Coleman of UNICEF and Zariyab Mussarat Director Federal Ombudsman Secretariat also participated in this function. During question answer session Yaqoob Awan and Afzaal Ahmad and other participants asked interesting questions while Mian Hamid Javed former president FCCI offered vote of thanks.
Later, Rana Sikandar Azam SVP presented FCCI shield to Federal Ombudsman Salman Farooqi while Salman Farooqi also handed over a crest of Federal Ombudsman Secretariat to Hamid Javed. Earlier, the participants of the meeting offered Fateh for the departed souls of the Martyrs of Lahore suicidal attack.