Islamabad: The Federal Ombudsman, Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, emphasized the importance of increasing public awareness to enhance the effectiveness of the Ombudsman Institution.
He made these remarks while inaugurating a Webinar on ‘Building Public Awareness – An Essential Feature of Ombudsmanship’. It was attended by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed and members of the Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA).
Qureshi stated that the Wafaqi Mohtasib office is dedicated to addressing public complaints quickly and free of cost. He highlighted the focus on reaching out to the poor, downtrodden, and marginalized segments of society through a robust awareness campaign, especially in remote areas of the country. Qureshi emphasized that promoting the well-being of the common man is the ultimate objective, which will ultimately lead to good governance and the rule of law. He also stressed the importance of inclusivity and greater outreach for a successful Ombuds System.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, the keynote speaker at the seminar, emphasized the need to address administrative excesses and mal-administration by public sector entities. “The Office of the Wafaqi Mohtasib is one of the most important and effective platforms to address the issues of omission and commission of these bodies and to ameliorate the lot of the public”, he maintained.
He commended the performance of the Wafaqi Mohtasib Office in handling a large number of complaints and encouraged the use of IT tools and awareness campaigns to achieve their objectives. He also urged the media to publicize the goals of Ombudsmanship.
The webinar was organised by the Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA), of which Pakistan is the current President. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi was elected as the President of the 47-member strong body last year, and the AOA secretariat is located within the premises of the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat in Islamabad.
