LAHORE: The fifth annual ombuds day will be celebrated all over the world, including Pakistan, on Thursday to sensitise the people about the institutional mechanism of protecting their rights so that no government official or department could be negligent in upholding the legal rights of the citizens.
This was stated by a spokesman of the Office of Punjab Ombudsman in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The spokesman explained the provincial ombudsman office was playing an important role in ensuring good governance through the eradication of corrupt practices and maladministration. It has realised government officials are accountable to the people and no dereliction would be tolerated in this regard.
In this way, the establishment of a law-abiding society is bolstered and the public trust in the government is also strengthened, the spokesman asserted.
He maintained that the Office of the Ombudsman Punjab was playing an important role in protecting public rights by providing them with free and expeditious relief. In the 25 years since its birth, the office has redressed 347,369 public complaints.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has been dexterously employed for the prompt registration of public complaints; the spokesman noted and added that local plaintiffs and expatriates, from across the globe, could lodge their complaints to the concerned regional office through the website or bilingual mobile application OPMIS. A focal person has also been nominated for dealing with the complaints of the overseas Pakistanis, added the spokesman. The complaints could also be sent through post or in person.
Along with this, a dedicated helpline 1050 has been launched to help and guide the petitioners. A working group has been formed through the Chief Provincial Commissioner for Children to protect the rights of children and to save them from online harassment or exploitation, the spokesman said.
Instead of remaining silent on the violation of their rights, the people should contact the relevant regional ombudsman office to protect their legal rights, added the spokesman.
