Islamabad: Federal Ombudsman Naveed Kamran Baloch has directed officials to ensure maximum facilitation for complainants visiting the institution, emphasizing a more responsive and citizen-friendly approach to grievance redressal.
Chairing a monthly review meeting, the Ombudsman instructed that complaints falling outside the institution’s jurisdiction should not be rejected. Instead, such cases must be received and formally forwarded to the relevant federal or provincial ombudsman offices.
He highlighted that initiatives such as the Outreach Complaint Resolution (OCR) program and open courts (Khuli Katcheries) will continue to bring justice closer to the public. Plans are also underway to further expand these outreach efforts.
The Ombudsman noted the ongoing expansion of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program, aimed at resolving disputes through mediation. He directed officials to ensure that all complaints are resolved within the stipulated timeframe of 60 days.
During the meeting, it was shared that a total of 62,734 complaints had been received up to March 31 this year. Currently, 213 federal government institutions are integrated with the Computerized Management Information System (CMIS), which automatically transfers complaints pending for over a month to the Ombudsman for action. Efforts are ongoing to bring remaining institutions into the system.
Mr. Baloch also stressed the need to strengthen awareness campaigns so more citizens can benefit from the institution’s services. Additionally, he noted that steps are being taken to further improve institutional infrastructure to enhance service delivery.
