islamabad - Federal Ombudsman M Salman Faruqui has expressed the resolve that all-out efforts would be made to solve the issues of overseas Pakistanis on priority basis as they are backbone of Pakistan’s economy and represent true face of the country abroad.
He expressed these views while chairing a meeting on the issues of overseas Pakistanis held here in Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat. The meeting was attended by representatives of 32 federal government departments.
Faruqui highlighted the struggle and contributions of overseas Pakistanis living in different countries of the world. He stressed that the government agencies should give respect to the overseas Pakistanis and must resolve their issues on priority basis within the timeframe.
He appreciated the efforts of Grievance Commissioner Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar, Senior Advisor (Law)/Grievance Commissioner for such a landmark achievements for providing a platform to all the stakeholders on the issues of overseas Pakistanis in a short span of time.
Faruqui applauded the initiatives of the grievance commissioner inside the country 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 maladministration against the government officials.
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 152,000 complaints in two years and there is no complaint pending for more than sixty days. He also highlighted the initiatives of the Grievance Cell for Overseas Pakistanis in 150 days.
He said website for handling overseas Pakistanis complaints at Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat made and its address is www.overseaspakistanis.ombudsman.gov.pk
He said 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 coordination and resolution of overseas complaints, he added.
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 i.e. USA, UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
For pilot project Pakistani Counsellor in New York will be connected in few days as promised by Foreign Office. 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 Higher Education Commission (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 undertake to further facilitate for overseas Pakistanis to send their home remittances through formal channels.
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.