Pakistan | Ombudsman Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presented Annual Report 2019

Looking through the Prism of State – citizens relations, it is evident that citizens have become captives of a monopoly represented by the State. Some are vulnerable and may feel fearful and generally uninformed about what to legitimately expect from government agencies. Citizens are often at the mercy of the huge, all – powerful government apparatus at all tiers.

In most cases, many citizens who feel shortchanged by actions and inactions of government cannot afford to pay for legal services to ventilate their grievances. When government and big corporate entities are defending their own rights or contesting a complaint, they do so with huge financial, professional, legal and administrative resources at their disposal – an arsenal that has nothing in common with that which may be available to an individual. Thus, the common man is delighted to resort to the services of the Ombudsman.

The Institution of Ombudsman, one of the most respected and prestigious Institution in Pakistan has been established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2011 as a swift and inexpensive source of justice. Pakistan was the first country in Asia to establish the office of Ombudsman in 1983 to redress public grievances against maladministration of government institutions and ministries.

The Office of Ombudsman is intended to function as an independent body to ensure that citizens have a grievance redressal mechanism accessible to them, free of bureaucratic hurdles and executive control. It performs both proactive functions such as protecting citizens’ rights and reactive functions as laid down in the Provincial Ombudsman Act.

The Ombudsman provides invaluable help to common man through its high stature, independence, impartiality and objectivity, easy access, informal procedure, power to see government papers, suo moto power, confidentiality and flexibility in terms of adaptability, mediatory role, and recommendatory character. No legal aid is required in addressing a grievance which is akin to the concept of providing inexpensive justice as envisaged in Article 37(d) of Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ombudsman has taken several decisions on cases against maladministration, majority (about 80%) of which are in favour of complainants. This position illustrates the importance of such grievance redressal system as pillars of good governance, providing foundations for accountability and delivery of public services.

The Ombudsman Institution can act as gateway for citizens into government, providing prompt and speedy relief to people. These efforts seek to strengthen the pillars of good governance in Pakistan, by tapping the potential of these institutions to investigate/administrative malpractices, and mitigate conflicts the overall building trust between citizens and the state.

Source: Provincial Ombudsman Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Peshawar