SHEIKHUPURA
The Federal Ombudsman has directed the Foreign Office to ensure that all the ambassadors of Pakistan in 92 missions around the world listen to the overseas Pakistanis’ complaints on weekly basis at their respective embassies.
The Federal Ombudsman also sought reports in this regards on monthly basis, said Senior Adviser/Registrar as Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmed while talking to this scribe here the other day.
He further advised Foreign Office of Pakistan to ensure that all focal persons appointed in 92 missions of Pakistan are actively working for the resolution of overseas Pakistanis’ issues and their welfare, and their performance reports be submitted by every ambassadors to the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat.
He further said that all ambassadors of Pakistan have been directed to upload their contact numbers and information on their website regarding focal persons including their contacts (phone, mobile, email) appointed for overseas Pakistanis, information for hearing complaints by them on weekly basis and establishment of one window facilitation desks at international airports. He issued instructions to the officials of Nadra, Passport Office, information officers and commercial counsellors working in Pakistani embassies to work more for the resolution of overseas Pakistanis issues on priority basis.
He said that the ambassadors have been advised to set up online appointment system for overseas Pakistanis for dealing with the issues of their respective embassies and the same may be uploaded to every embassy’s website of Pakistan so they can avail this facility and get their issues resolved without any hassle and report compliance be submitted to this secretariat.
He also directed the passport department to open new counters, make separate arrangement for women and increase their staff in Riaz, Saudi Arab and other Mideast countries. He said that in Pakistan for the facilitation of overseas Pakistanis, six one window facilitation desks have been established at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Multan airports on the directions of M Salman Farooqui, the federal ombudsman.
These are represented by 12 federal government departments round the clock for the guidance and resolution of overseas Pakistanis’ problems on the spot. He further said that these facilitation desks are also working as deterrent measures and since their establishments at these airports people are getting advice.

Thus, a number of complaints have been resolved and the problems of loss of luggage, boarding, porters, taxi and immigration at these airports are minimized, he said.