Overseas Pakistanis Ombudsman to take up complaints via video link
LAHORE: Federal Ombudsman Pakistan Salman Farouqi has decided to hear complaints of overseas Pakistanis via video-link and Skype from countries where Pakistan Community Welfare Attaches (CWAs) are posted.
Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis and Senior Adviser (Law) to the Ombudsman Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar told APP on Saturday that all Pakistani ambassadors in 116 countries have started hearing overseas Pakistanis’ complaints on the directions of the Federal Ombudsman Pakistan on weekly basis.
He said overseas Pakistanis were not required to seek prior appointment from the ambassadors in their respective countries.
The Grievance Commissioner said the embassies are resolving overseas problems and submitting regular progress reports including reporting of systemic issues of overseas Pakistanis for their resolutions to the federal ombudsman secretariat.
Khokhar said directions have been issued to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), Bureau of Emigration to make arrangements within next two months for the celebration of One Day in a year as Overseas Pakistanis Day on December 18 every year to recognize the contribution of 8.1 million overseas Pakistanis living in 218 countries and regions.
To a query, the official said an awareness campaign for resolution of overseas Pakistanis would be launched very soon with the coordination of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and newly appointed information officers for different countries have been called for briefing in next week at the federal Ombudsman secretariat.
He said 8 one window facilitation desks have been established for the swift resolution of overseas complaints with the officials of 12 relevant federal government agencies at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Sialkot and Faislabad airports while 320000 passengers and overseas Pakistanis have benefitted from the facility.
The Grievance Commissioner acknowledged the role of the foreign office of Pakistan, ministry of overseas, OPF, Bureau of immigration and overseas employment corporation in the implementation of the Ombudsman orders.—APP
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