LAHORE:Complaints of expatriates approaching the office of the Ombudsman Punjab should be resolved on priority basis and in the case of irrelevance, plaintiffs be properly guided about the appropriate forum so that they may approach it for legal relief.
This was stated by Ombudsman Punjab Maj (retd) Azam Suleman Khan while presiding over a quarterly review meeting at his office on Wednesday. He reviewed the performance of advisors and consultants of regional offices across Punjab during the first three months of the current year.
The meeting reviewed the performance of advisors and consultants in resolving public issues, reclaiming government lands from illegal occupants, protecting children’s rights and providing financial relief to complainants. The meeting expressed satisfaction with the use of IT-based interventions that have helped make Ombudsman’s offices more accessible to the public inside and outside the country.
The Punjab Ombudsman directed that final orders related to public complaints should be issued within 24 hours, adding that a monthly performance report be submitted to the head office by the 5th of each month to assess the performance. The meeting expressed satisfaction with the 24/7 helpline 1050 facility, which guides and assists people in obtaining relief.
The Punjab Ombudsman emphasised expediting resolution of the public complaints to ensure timely relief to the public. The office of the Chief Provincial Commissioner for Children is an important forum to ensure timely resolution of complaints relating to child abuse and this would help promote a child-friendly society, he noted and concluded that the Punjab Ombudsman’s office had been serving as a mediator to provide individuals with access to justice, promoting trust and confidence in the government institutions.