Three officers under consideration for Acting Ombudsman

Islamabad: In order to clear backlog of over 70,000 complaints pending for disposal by the Federal Ombudsman (Wafaqi Mohtasib) on fast track, a panel of three officers is being considered for appointment on acting charge basis till the appointment of a regular Ombudsman.

According to a Press and Information Department, these officers include .

It may be mentioned that the post of Wafaqi Mohtasib is a four-year tenure position which has traditionally been held by bureaucrats.

The Federal Ombudsman takes cognizance of complaints against the Federal Government, Ministries, Divisions, Departments and attached bodies generally pertaining to public grievances on account of maladministration in utility services and inordinate delay in dispensation of relief by the Federal Government Organizations to the public.

The position of Wafaqi Mohtasib fell vacant in October 2010 after retirement of Javed Malik, former Principal Secretary to the then Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz.

Earlier, Imtiaz Ahmad Sahibzada, former Cabinet Secretary during the premiership of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto also held the position of Wafaqi Mohtasib.