DELIVERY NOT SEMINARS
23 January 2016
Appearing in a TV talk show the Federal Ombudsman against Harassment of Women at Workplace stated that her office was holding Seminars to create awareness amongst working women. If one minutely peruses the newspapers, Facebook etc, he/she would often find mention of a Seminar, a Workshop or a Conference held by one ombudsman or the other mostly for “creation of awareness”. All we know that not merely these seminars or conferences entail huge expense but participants of these are mostly TA/DA travelers senior functionaries, executives and intellectuals who invariably are highly placed, well educated viz; already “aware” of the thing for which seminar was being hold. In all such Seminars one will find complete absence of those for “whose awareness” viz the unaware potential victim class like clerks, section officers, receptionists, computer operators etc these seminars/conferences are held.
2. Through these so called enjoyable conferences mostly in costly hotels no “awareness” can be created except for with “real work”. Mid 1982 a news appeared that General Zia had issued an Ordinance establishing an Ombudsman. Except for those like who are seen in above conferences, none knew the meaning of this difficult unknown word “ombudsman”. I was then working as a junior officer in a Government office. I did not know the exact meaning of ombudsman. Like others I thought it was just another usual new office created only to provide jobs to some dear ones. The Ombudsman practically started working in March 1983. The first news about Ombudsman office appeared in almost all the Dailies was unbelievable. Since 1972 administrative justice in public dealing Departments had started dwindling down due to excessive unionism and the fear of holders of “red cards” (PPP Membership). This first news was the Ombudsman ordering the then T&T refund of Rs. 2.11 to the sender of a telegram which did not reach the destination. The then Ombudsman, a true ombudsman so far remaining unmatched for, had not agreed with T&T argument that the sender had signed terms & conditions of service which read that T&T was not be responsible if the booked telegram could not be delivered. The true ombudsman contended that this condition related to if non delivery was due to force majeure, destruction of T&T network, calamity etc and not due to any inefficiency. In the country no one had ever even dreamed of refund of his money in such a case. This news item created a “free” jungle fire like “awareness” amongst the masses without holding any costly Seminar then. Then people like me knowing what the Ombudsman was started rushing to him. This senior citizen must had in 80s filed approximately a 100 complaints getting justice in almost 95%. I did not get my telephone directory and purchased @ Rs. 450/-. Justice Sardar Iqbal the then Ombudsman ordered refund and I got it. Last year I complained that I was not getting my telephone directory. The present ombudsman handling today “proudly” more than a million complaints a year did not even formally “register for formal processing and decision on merit” rather on sight rejected my complaint on the ground “it is a complaint general in nature”.
3. After this Rs. 2.11 refund news, the masses came to know through the newspapers the translated word “Wafaqi Mohtasib” meaning of which were known to all of us. {A few months back I filed a formal complaint against the Federal Ombudsman’s own office. Since practically the home accountability is an alien word in our country, my this complaint was rejected even at the registration stage. Amongst 2-3 other technical reasons for rejection the first one was that under Presidential Order of 1982 the complaints are supposed to be addressed to the Federal Ombudsman. Perhaps my mistake was that I addressed my complaint as “Honourable Federal Ombudsman”. Objection was perhaps to adding of non-required word “honourable” or perhaps should I had addressed as “Wafaqi Mohtasib” instead of the Federal Ombudsman].
5. 2011 the whole ombudsman system was desired to be reformed after the then President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari showed his grave concern on the gradual and continuously becoming the Federal ineffective. The World Bank funds donation also came for these reforms. What are these reforms? Seminars, conferences, workshops. Children right awareness conferences attended by high placed people instead of kiln, garages working tender age children
6. Honourable Madam, Federal Ombudsman for Women, news items like that of Rs. 2.11 refund would like jungle fire introduce (awareness) your institution but not the Seminars as you desire. When there would be no Seminars, the expense would appreciably decrease leaving no room for complaining about shortage of funds. Your office needs delivery of true justice based on universal doctrine “justice on principles of natural justice” and not creation of regional offices.
23 January 2016
Appearing in a TV talk show the Federal Ombudsman against Harassment of Women at Workplace stated that her office was holding Seminars to create awareness amongst working women. If one minutely peruses the newspapers, Facebook etc, he/she would often find mention of a Seminar, a Workshop or a Conference held by one ombudsman or the other mostly for “creation of awareness”. All we know that not merely these seminars or conferences entail huge expense but participants of these are mostly TA/DA travelers senior functionaries, executives and intellectuals who invariably are highly placed, well educated viz; already “aware” of the thing for which seminar was being hold. In all such Seminars one will find complete absence of those for “whose awareness” viz the unaware potential victim class like clerks, section officers, receptionists, computer operators etc these seminars/conferences are held.
2. Through these so called enjoyable conferences mostly in costly hotels no “awareness” can be created except for with “real work”. Mid 1982 a news appeared that General Zia had issued an Ordinance establishing an Ombudsman. Except for those like who are seen in above conferences, none knew the meaning of this difficult unknown word “ombudsman”. I was then working as a junior officer in a Government office. I did not know the exact meaning of ombudsman. Like others I thought it was just another usual new office created only to provide jobs to some dear ones. The Ombudsman practically started working in March 1983. The first news about Ombudsman office appeared in almost all the Dailies was unbelievable. Since 1972 administrative justice in public dealing Departments had started dwindling down due to excessive unionism and the fear of holders of “red cards” (PPP Membership). This first news was the Ombudsman ordering the then T&T refund of Rs. 2.11 to the sender of a telegram which did not reach the destination. The then Ombudsman, a true ombudsman so far remaining unmatched for, had not agreed with T&T argument that the sender had signed terms & conditions of service which read that T&T was not be responsible if the booked telegram could not be delivered. The true ombudsman contended that this condition related to if non delivery was due to force majeure, destruction of T&T network, calamity etc and not due to any inefficiency. In the country no one had ever even dreamed of refund of his money in such a case. This news item created a “free” jungle fire like “awareness” amongst the masses without holding any costly Seminar then. Then people like me knowing what the Ombudsman was started rushing to him. This senior citizen must had in 80s filed approximately a 100 complaints getting justice in almost 95%. I did not get my telephone directory and purchased @ Rs. 450/-. Justice Sardar Iqbal the then Ombudsman ordered refund and I got it. Last year I complained that I was not getting my telephone directory. The present ombudsman handling today “proudly” more than a million complaints a year did not even formally “register for formal processing and decision on merit” rather on sight rejected my complaint on the ground “it is a complaint general in nature”.
3. After this Rs. 2.11 refund news, the masses came to know through the newspapers the translated word “Wafaqi Mohtasib” meaning of which were known to all of us. {A few months back I filed a formal complaint against the Federal Ombudsman’s own office. Since practically the home accountability is an alien word in our country, my this complaint was rejected even at the registration stage. Amongst 2-3 other technical reasons for rejection the first one was that under Presidential Order of 1982 the complaints are supposed to be addressed to the Federal Ombudsman. Perhaps my mistake was that I addressed my complaint as “Honourable Federal Ombudsman”. Objection was perhaps to adding of non-required word “honourable” or perhaps should I had addressed as “Wafaqi Mohtasib” instead of the Federal Ombudsman].
5. 2011 the whole ombudsman system was desired to be reformed after the then President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari showed his grave concern on the gradual and continuously becoming the Federal ineffective. The World Bank funds donation also came for these reforms. What are these reforms? Seminars, conferences, workshops. Children right awareness conferences attended by high placed people instead of kiln, garages working tender age children
6. Honourable Madam, Federal Ombudsman for Women, news items like that of Rs. 2.11 refund would like jungle fire introduce (awareness) your institution but not the Seminars as you desire. When there would be no Seminars, the expense would appreciably decrease leaving no room for complaining about shortage of funds. Your office needs delivery of true justice based on universal doctrine “justice on principles of natural justice” and not creation of regional offices.
