KARACHI: The Federal Ombudsman Secretariat Karachi conducted an awareness session on Tuesday at the Government College of Commerce and Economics-1, aiming to educate students and faculty about the ombudsman’s mandate and the critical role such institutions play in ensuring accountability within the public sector.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Anwar Haider, a representative of the Ombudsman Secretariat, emphasized the value of the ombudsman system in promoting good governance by addressing public grievances and ensuring accountability of government departments. He described the ombudsman office as a vital platform for citizensparticularly marginalized and underprivileged groupsto seek redressal against maladministration.
Mr. Haider informed attendees that Pakistan, like many other countries, has established various specialized ombudsman offices to deal with issues related to tax, insurance, banking, and other sectors. He highlighted that the Federal Ombudsman serves as a “poor mans court,” offering free and timely complaint resolution services against public institutions such as NADRA, K-Electric, SSGC, Pakistan Railways, the post office, and passport offices.
Complaints are typically resolved within 15 to 60 days, he noted, adding that more than 226,000 cases were received in 2024 alonedemonstrating the growing trust of citizens in the Ombudsmans office.
The session saw participation from a large number of students, faculty members, media personnel, and officials from the Ombudsman Secretariat. Designed to be interactive, the event aimed to raise awareness about citizens’ rights and the mechanisms available to hold public service providers accountable.
Mr. Haider concluded his address by encouraging the youth to channel their energy into academic and professional excellence. The youth must play a central role in nation-building by being responsible, aware, and actively engaged, he urged.
