Federal Ombudsman vows to bring ease in disbursement for EOBI’s pensioners

Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi has vowed to take up the biometric verification issue of ailing EOBI’s pensioners as they have to undergo verification process after every three months and to bring ease for them by developing a mechanism in which aged and sick pensioners would not suffer.

Qureshi, who was having his first interaction with the media on the eve of 39th Anniversary of the establishment of Wafaqi Mohtasib Institution, in Islamabad on Monday after taking over the charge as Federal Ombudsman, said that an increase in complaints of pensioners against the EOBI has been observed recently.

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As per law, the pensioners of EOBI are supposed to appear before banks’ authorities after every three months to provide proof that they are still alive. The EOBI’s pensioners receive around Rs8, 500 as a monthly pension. The ailing pensioners are taken to the banks by their relatives under sort of pathetic circumstances for their biometric verification.

Qureshi said that he had planned to do a proper study on the matter of the EOBI, adding that meetings with the regional head of EOBI was on the cards to bring ease in disbursement of pensions to pensioners.

The Federal Ombudsman said that his institution was working for poor man’s support in the country and urged the media to highlight the positive image among the society as it was vital to uplift the morale of the society.

He said that Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat had disposed of 1.7 million complaints since its inception.

He paid rich tribute to the previous leadership of Wafaqi Mohtasib for good services, and vowed to take the performance of the institution to the new heights by using its power for resolving disputes of the lower strata.

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The services of Wafaqi Mohtasib would be free of cost and speedy in manner and without the services of a lawyer.  He said that major issues of public interest will be taken up by taking suo motu notice and grievances of large section of population will be addressed.  He said that he has constituted an Advisory Committee comprising ex-federal ombudsmen, senior civil servants, from Judiciary and personalities from law to be members to advice on more efficient activities and performance.

He said that the Federal Ombudsman had prepared 28 Study Reports on systemic issues of different Agencies e.g. Jails Reforms, Pension, National Savings, Overseas Pakistanis, Pakistan Post,  Margalla Hills National Park, Thana Reforms, Kasur Child Tragedy & Education Sector Reforms etc.

The Ombudsman has decided to prepare more study reports on systemic issues of agencies. On Children issues the Federal Ombudsman has re-notified the National Committee on Children to resolve children issues in the country.

He said that his office had taken a number of measures to Prevent and Control of Cyber Crimes against Children and had introduced an amendment bill for the protection of children rights.

He said that his office has received 110, 398 complaints and disposed of 106,732 complaints during 2021.

He said that 92.7% findings were implemented by the Agencies.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat on the advice of the President of Pakistan had initiated a number of innovative techniques through traditional and social media to increase awareness among the general public about the use of services being offered by the Wafaqi Mohtasib, he said, adding that 42,240 complaints were received through online system with 67% increase.

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He further said that another Regional Office of WMS has recently been established at Sargodha & Kharan to facilitate the people of the area for the redressal of their grievances and three more new regional offices are being opened in Swat, Gilgit-Baltistan and Khuzdar.

He said that 940 review petitions against 106,732 decisions were filed either by the complainants or the agencies concerned against the findings of the Wafaqi Mohtasib.  The review petitions constituted only 0.88% of the total complaints decided. He said that only 719 Representations were filed before the President which is only 0.67% of the decided complaints in 2021.

He said that his office is considered as a poor man’s court which dispenses free of cost justice in a speedy manner.  He said that now the complainants have been given the option to appear in the hearing proceedings in person or through whatsapp video link.  He said to improve the redressal mechanism; the officers of the secretariat visited the remote areas under Outreach Complaint Resolution (OCR) to provide relief at the doorsteps of the common man and 8,200 complaints were disposed through this system.  Under Integrated Complaint Resolution Mechanism (ICR), 178 Agencies (Federal Government Departments) have been taken on board for better monitoring & expeditious resolution of public grievances.

In the year 2021, 16,420 cases were registered through ICR system in which the Agencies had failed to resolve these cases within 30 days.