Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s approval to establish the One Window Complaint System is indeed a laudable initiative. Under the new set up, all complaints against the federal government will be linked directly to Pakistan Citizens Portal (PCP). The one window system will improve the existing grievance redress mechanism of the government. Helping citizens in solving their problems is an essential component of good governance.

Such a set up was sorely needed in Pakistan. Several government departments do not enjoy a good reputation, especially the ones providing services to ordinary people. People have a negative perception of public offices. Hopefully, organisations and their leaders will now work more diligently to serve people. No administration can claim to be accountable, responsive and user-friendly unless it has established an efficient and effective grievance redressal mechanism.

The government has already directed all concerned organisations to make contingency plans within the next 60 days for its implementation. Having one window through which all concerns can be addressed is convenient for the government as well as citizens. The government can hence streamline its operations and keep consolidated data of all that needs improvement, making policymaking much easier.

The said system is a good step forward to ensure responsible governance based on accountability—provided the grievances are acknowledged, understood and effectively resolved. But before anything else, the citizens must be made aware of exactly how the new system functions. Therefore, the government must run a thorough campaign amongst the masses about this facility, as only an informed citizenry can identify if their rights are abused or not.