ABBOTTABAD Federal Ombudsman Ijaz Ahmad Qureshi stressed the need for federal government departments and institutions to harness modern technology in the establishment of a computerized system for the expeditious handling of public complaints at the divisional and district levels. He expressed these views while speaking to the media during his visit to the Abbottabad regional office.
Ijaz Qureshi also called for the appointment of senior officials and officers to expedite the screening and resolution of complaints in relevant departments, aiming to ensure a swift and courteous process.
Federal Ombudsman Ijaz Ahmad Qureshi has urged the public to consult the Federal Ombudsman’s office for complaints against federal government departments, assuring that their grievances can be processed quickly and without any cost.
He highlighted that the implementation of digital services has notably reduced the number of complaints against several federal institutions, even those as renowned as Allama Iqbal Open Universi
ty. However, he noted that the highest number of complaints still pertains to utility institutions such as WAPDA and Sui Gas, emphasizing the indispensability of modern technology for efficient complaint resolution in these cases.
While talking about the performance of the Federal Ombudsman, Ijaz Qureshi said that last year alone, it successfully resolved a staggering 164, 000 complaints within just two months. This is a significant leap from 2009 when the number of complainants was only 22, 000. He lauded the commitment of federal institutions in implementing the Federal Ombudsman’s directives, which he believes is a positive development for complainants.
Ijaz Qureshi revealed that the Regional Dispute Resolution Center’s mechanism is being utilized to address disputes between complainants and relevant federal departments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He further disclosed that Grade 20 officers have been appointed in 50 federal departments and institutions based on the Federal Ombudsman’s recommendations to enha
nce the effectiveness of complaint resolution processes.