ISLAMABAD: The Wafagi Mohtasib Secretariat successfully implemented 93.21 per cent of its decisions in 2024, marking a notable increase from 85.70pc the previous year.

This was disclosed by Wafagi Mohtasib Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi while informally talking to a group of senior journalists at the secretariat. He said the rest of around 7pc decisions could not be implemented due to litigation and limited funds available with the relevant institutions.

Asked if his office could take punitive action against the government servants who fail to comply with its orders, Mr Qureshi said the Mohtasib had the same powers as the Supreme Court to punish for contempt any person who abuses, interferes with, impedes, imperils, or obstructs the process of the Mohtasib in any way or disobeys any order.

However, he said that a high court had granted stay against the rare exercise of contempt power and the matter had been pending before the SupremeCourt for three years. He said the year 2024 has been very eventful and productive for the institutionas itresolved arecord number of 223,198 complaints, out of the total 226,372 it received.

This showed an increase of 17pc and 16pc in receipt and disposal of complaints, respectively, over the figures of 2023. During 2024, he said, 126 open katcheris were held across Pakistan with a view to providing administrative justice at the doorsteps.

Besides, 171 outreach complaint resolution (OCR) visits had been carried out, which were instrumental in resolving as many as 4,840 cases. Similarly, 79 inspection visits to different federal government agencies and departments had been made to improve their service delivery, said the Mohtasib.

`With the opening of new regional offices and complaint collection centres, the outreach and accessibility have increased remarkably as they now have presence in 25 cities of the country, including Muzaffarabad (Azad Kashmir), Gilgit-Baltistan and Sahiwal. We shall soon beopening another regional office at DG Khan,` he said.

Overseas Pakistanis The Wafagi Mohtasib said the office had emerged as a truly poor man`s court, providing free and expeditious administrative relief to a large number of complainants at their doorsteps.

The one-window facilitation desks (OWFDs) set up at the international airports of the country facilitated 111,184 complainants, whereas 38,592 complaints were received by the Pakistan missions abroad and 2,121 complaints by the office of Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis established at Wafagi Mohtasib Secretariat.

Underscoring the need for raising the general awareness about the existence of this forum, Mr Qureshi said that a well-planned public awareness campaign was producing the desired results and the general public was fast becoming aware of its existence.

This office has so far carried out 80 studies/reports to fix the systemic issues and problems being faced by the various federal government agencies.