Around 198431 complaints of overseas Pakistanis were decided in two and a half years and no complaint is pending beyond 60 days in Ombudsman Secretariat, said Federal Ombudsman Salman Faruqui.

Chairing the meeting for the resolution of issues of overseas Pakistanis at Federal Ombudsman Secretariat Islamabad, he directed to take initiative for disposal of complaints of overseas Pakistani within 45 days. Representatives of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource, Ministry of Finance, Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Board of Revenue, Federal Investigation Agency, Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, Overseas Employment Corporation, Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, Ministry of Health, National Database and Registration Authority, Pakistan International Airlines Corporation, Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, Airport Security Force and Anti-Narcotics Force were also present.

Salman Faruqui said that the prime objective of the wafaqi mohtasib is to provide relief expeditiously and without any cost to the people of Pakistan at their doorsteps. He said in his tenure all the complaints were decided within 60 days. He said that he has the plan that in future, the complaints will be heard at district level. Grievance Commissioner for overseas Pakistanis Hafiz Ahsan Ahmed Khokhar briefed the participants that for the facilitation overseas, the federal ombudsman has appointed focal persons in 92 foreign missions and 40 in federal departments, and action has been taken on 932 complaints of overseas Pakistanis against government departments since June 2015, which have been forwarded for action to the relevant government departments.

Khokhar stated that several steps have been taken for overseas Pakistanis which includes establishment of independent website for overseas Pakistanis, focal persons in Pakistan Missions and agencies, advisory councils in agencies, online system of handling of complaints, facilitation of overseas Pakistanis in companies and tax registration, improvement of provision of facilities at airports, fixation of day for hearing of complaints in 92 Pakistan Missions For Overseas Pakistanis, facilitation in attestation of documents, resolution of residence permit for overseas Pakistanis, counselling of overseas prisoners, e-gate immigration facility at international airports, steps for facilitation of remittances of overseas Pakistanis, and one window facilitation desk at airports.

He said that five one window facilitation desks have been established at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta airports. Khokhar informed that Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will act as complaint handling/coordination agencies.

He said now steps have been taken for handling the overseas complaints through integration of the websites of 40 federal agencies which will make sure that the complaints of overseas Pakistanis will be decided in 45 days. He said that the overseas Pakistanis can lodge their complaints on ombudsman’s website. APP