Federal Ombudsman M Salman Faruqui has expressed the resolve that all out efforts would be made to resolve the issues of Overseas Pakistanis at priority basis as they were backbone of Pakistan economy and represent true face of Pakistan abroad. He expressed these views while chairing a meeting on the issues of Overseas Pakistanis held here in the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat of which Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar is the Grievance Commissioner. The meeting was attended by representatives of about 32 federal government departments.
Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar briefed the participants about the working of the office of Federal ombudsman and redressal mechanism on the issues of Overseas Pakistanis. Addressing the participants, Faruqui highlighted the struggle and contribution of overseas Pakistanis. He stressed that the government agencies should give respect to the Overseas Pakistanis and must resolve their issues on priority basis.
Faruqui applauded the initiatives of Grievance Commissioner in and outside the country and finally said that the office of Wafaqi Mohtasib would be available for the people of Pakistan and for overseas Pakistanis for redressing their issues against the mal-administration. Meanwhile, briefing the participants, Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar apprised that almost 7.5 million Pakistanis were living in 124 countries. Keeping in view the large number of Pakistanis abroad, the Wafaqi Mohtasib has decided 1,52,000 complaints in two years and no complaint remain pending sixty days. He also highlighted the initiatives of the Grievance cell for overseas Pakistanis in 150 days.
Giving details, he said that the major achievements also include exclusive website for handling overseas Pakistanis complaints at Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat, which has also been connected with all the relevant government departments. The address of the website is: www.overseaspakistanis.ombudsman.gov.pk and Online complaint resolution mechanism has been established in relevant government departments for overseas Pakistanis. Hafiz Khokhar maintained that the betterment of overseas Pakistanis Focal persons have been appointed for the services, complaints resolution and welfare of overseas Pakistanis in 92 Pakistanis embassies/missions abroad. List is also available on WMS website and in 32 relevant government departments for co-ordination and resolution of overseas complaints, he added.
Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis highlighted that maximum complaints of overseas Pakistanis pending with government departments had been resolved and further departments had been asked to resolve overseas Pakistanis complaints/issues in minimum time under intimation to the complainant and WMS and further Overseas Pakistanis' systemic issues received through emails or published in print media are being taken with the relevant authorities such as National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), D.G. Passport, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Customs and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
He apprised the meeting that the Foreign Office had been recommended to make necessary arrangements for hearing of complaints through video links in Federal Ombudsman's Secretariat with the Pakistan Missions where concentration of Pakistanis is higher, ie. USA, UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and UAE. For pilot project New York Pakistani Counsellor will be connected in a few days as promised by Foreign office and the Foreign office has been requested that Pakistani ambassadors all over the world may be asked to fix one day in a week for hearing of overseas complaints/issues.
He said that HEC and Foreign office have been recommended to resolve the issue of attestation of documents of overseas Pakistanis in systemic manner and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has been recommended to further facilitate overseas Pakistanis to send their home remittances through formal channels. Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar said that Machine Readable Passport facility is being ensured by giving recommendation to passport department in every area of foreign country which has more than 10,000 Pakistanis and SECP has been recommended to streamline their registration mechanism. He said the FIA, Customs, NADRA, Passport, Foreign office and OPF departments have been requested to attend the grievances of overseas Pakistanis on priority basis.
Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar said hundreds of complaints have been received through website, e-mail, mobile and landline telephone from different countries, ie Angola, Mali, UK, Abudabi, Austria, South Korea and South Africa, Daubi, USA, Qatar, Saudi Arab etc including Pakistan which have been responded and if required further actions have been forwarded to relevant agency for action.
Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis said that for realising the overseas problems at airports, first One Window Facilitation Desk for Overseas Pakistanis at Islamabad airport had been established on May 19 this year, which was inaugurated by Honourable Federal Ombudsman of Pakistan and these facilitation desks on all international airports will be represented by the representatives of 12 government departments, ie OPF, Bureau of Immigration, Overseas Employment Corporation, FIA, FBR, PIA, CAA, ASF, ANF, Directorate of Passport and immigration, NADRA and Ministry of Religious Affairs.
He informed that Second One Window Facilitation Desk would also be opened at Lahore airport on 10th of this month and then at Karachi airport in August, and then by September 2015 at all international airports of Pakistan for facilitation of overseas Pakistanis. These desks would make sure for instant resolution of complaints at airports, would improve the working images of government departments and would instantly help and facilitate millions of overseas Pakistanis at airports.
All the representatives of the government departments hailed the decision of the Wafaqi Mohtasib in formation of Overseas' Pakistanis' Grievance Commissioner and appreciated the efforts by the Grievance Commissioner Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar whose efforts brought fruit for the ignored but highly valuable class. Later, the representatives of the departments also gave presentations about their steps taken for the betterment of Overseas Pakistanis and submitted their compliance reports. The meeting was attended by the senior representatives of Ministry of Foreign Affairs,Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), Overseas Pakistanis Employment Corporation (Opec), Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Directorate General of Immigration and Passports , Associate Press of Pakistan Corporation (APP), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Board of Investment (BOI), Pakistan International Airline Corporation (PIA), Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Bureau of Immigration and Overseas employment, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Capital Development Authority (CDA),Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Housing and Works, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), Civil Aviation Division, Ministry of Information Technology, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Airports Security Force (ASF), Ministry of Communication, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) ,Administration of Islamabad capital Territory, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) and Co-operative department Islamabad.-PR
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