Women Lawyers’ delegation visits Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat

ISLAMABAD, Aug 21 (APP): A representative delegation from S&S Law Associates, Pakistan’s first All Women Law Firm headed by Ms. Sibah Farooq, Advocate visited the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat here Thursday as part of the latter’s civil society initiative.
The delegation was briefed in detail on the working of the various sections and departments of the Secretariat by their respective heads and also paid a courtesy call on the Wafaqi Mohtasib, Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi.
It was informed that the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s Office was the premier institution of administrative accountability in the country mandated to address and rectify maladministration of the federal government agencies. Following the success of the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s institution, being the first in the country of its kind, in providing free and expeditious administrative justice to the general public, the concept has been replicated in areas like Banking, Taxation, Insurance and Protection of Women against Harassment at the Work Place, it was told.
The delegation was further informed that last year, a record number of complaints amounting to 226,373 had been received, out of which as many as 223,198 had been addressed satisfactorily. As regards the current year, the delegation was informed that more than 150,000 have been received so far and if we go by the projections made for the current year, this figure may cross 250,000 mark.
Later, the delegation also visited the Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA) Secretariat located in the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s Building and attended a detailed briefing on the Association. It was told that the organization came into being in 1996 mainly due to the efforts of the Wafaqi Mohtasib who has also held its Presidentship most of the time. Presently, the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman), Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, is the current President of the Association.
The delegation highly commended the efforts of Wafaqi Mohtasib’s institution in addressing maladministration and checking administrative inefficiencies of the public sector organizations as well as making efforts for good governance in the country, terming the office’s performance as being remarkable and worth emulating for all.