ISLAMABAD:Federal Ombudsman, Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi on Friday visited Peshawar and held a number of important meetings including a review of the working of the Federal Ombudsman Regional Office.
He held meetings with the Chief Secretary to monitor the pace of Jails Reforms and prominent editors and media personalities.
The ombudsman appreciated the performance of the Federal Ombudsman’s regional Office as there was a major increase in the disposal of public complaints.
He advised them to ensure prompt and sympathetic response to the citizens who came to the office for redressal of their grievances.
Ejaz Ahmed underlined the need for good governance practices at all levels including investigation and implementation.
He noted that the hundreds of cases under Informal resolution of disputes were being disposed of and the public was been provided with due relief.
Chairing a meeting on Jail Reforms along with Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , he appreciated the improvements and progress in a number of areas of the report on the reforms under the direction of the Supreme Court. It was decided in the meeting that two important sub-committees would be formed.
One, under the chairmanship of the Additional Chief Secretary to speed up the infrastructure development and the other under the chairmanship of the Secretary Home and Prison to streamline and improve operational activities.
These committees will meet on a monthly basis and submit progress reports to the chief secretary.
The meeting was attended by Provincial Ombudsman KPK, Syed Jamalud Din Shah, IG KPK, IG Prisons, Home Secretary, DG Prosecution, and senior representative of Advocate General and health departments.
The oversight committees were working efficiently at the provincial and district levels.
The capacity in various jails has improved, reducing the overcrowding to half-from 12% to 6%. It was noted that market-based skills should be imparted to prisoners by way of rehabilitation.
Separate rooms for transgenders had been arranged in 7 major prisons of the province, it was note as important development.
The ombudsman advised that philanthropists should be associated with the task of improvements in jails as had been done in past.
The IG Prisons would liaison with the Chamber of Commerce and the business community, he added.
In the interaction with the media personalities, the ombudsman explained some new initiatives being undertaken to expand the services in far-flung areas including Merged Districts (FATA Agencies).
He appreciated their cooperation in the awareness campaign which had yielded a 34% increase in the number of complaints and their disposal.