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MULTAN, Nov 06 (APP):Federal Ombudsman Advisor for Multan Division, Muhammad Rashid Qamar, has declared that the practice of government employees arriving late to their offices also fall under the definition of corruption.
He directed that departmental action should be initiated against such officials who neglect punctuality and official discipline.
Hearing a complaint filed by Usama Anwar from Khanewal against the Director of the National Cyber Crime Investigations Agency (NCCIA) Multan, the Advisor remarked that the Federal Ombudsman’s Office is fully empowered to take notice of unnecessary absenteeism by government employees and recommend disciplinary action against them.
The complainant informed the Advisor that he had visited the NCCIA Multan office at 10 a.m. in response to the order issued by the FO’s Advisor. He added that he remained there for three hours, but found the premises deserted except for a lone security guard. He said that he left the office without meeting any officer at 1 p.m.
When asked to clarify, a representative of the agency reluctantly acknowledged that such situations occasionally occur, as most investigation officers are often in the field.
Taking serious notice of the matter, Advisor Rashid Qamar observed that no government employee can remain absent from office without valid reason. “Such conduct amounts to corruption, and the Federal Ombudsman has the authority to recommend disciplinary proceedings against the responsible officials,” he said.
Concluding the hearing, the Advisor directed the NCCIA Director in Islamabad to ensure strict attendance compliance in all subordinate offices through the installation of a biometric attendance system, enabling monitoring of staff presence and timely attendance.