Only 9,000 complaints filed in a population of 55.5 million – Provincial Ombudsman Sindh
Chehra WebDesk
Out of 9,000 complaints received, 7,000 were admitted and 6,700 resolved – Mohammad Sohail Rajput
The Office of the Provincial Ombudsman Sindh is addressing public complaints against government departments in an effective and organized manner – Chairman PRCS Sindh, Rehan Hashmi
The aim of this joint seminar is to raise greater public awareness about the services of both public welfare institutions – Rehan Hashmi
Karachi – July 24, 2025 (Handout):
Provincial Ombudsman Sindh, Mohammad Sohail Rajput, while addressing an awareness seminar titled “The Role of Provincial Ombudsman Sindh in Public Grievance Redressal” jointly organized by the Directorate of Climate and Disaster Redressal Unit, Provincial Ombudsman Sindh, and Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Sindh, stated that registering only 9,000 complaints in a population of 55.5 million is significantly low. He attributed this to limited public awareness and lack of trust in the institution.
He further shared that out of the 9,000 complaints received, 7,000 were formally admitted, and 6,700 have already been resolved. “We are actively raising awareness through media, social media, seminars, and public hearings,” he said. “We have also set a three-month resolution timeframe for complaints and ensure that complainants are not made to run from pillar to post unnecessarily.”
He announced that an MoU with PRCS Sindh would soon be signed. Touching on climate change, he noted that regions like KP and Punjab are currently experiencing natural disasters, while in 2020, Karachi witnessed 287 mm of rain in just six hours due to a cloudburst.
Mr. Rajput emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to address climate and disaster challenges and welcomed other institutions to join hands. Highlighting past efforts, he said that over 500 unresolved land and housing project complaints pending for five years were taken up with the Chief Minister of Sindh, who constituted a four-member cabinet committee to propose solutions within three months.
He also stated that the Ombudsman’s Office takes suo motu notice in the public interest and is working to digitize the entire complaints system this year. A bilingual (Urdu and Sindhi) website and app are also being launched soon.
Chairman PRCS Sindh, Mr. Rehan Hashmi, in his address, reiterated PRCS’s readiness to serve during disasters. He praised the Ombudsman’s Office for efficiently addressing public complaints against government entities and emphasized that the joint seminar aimed to raise public awareness about how citizens can access free and prompt justice against government malpractices through proper channels.
Other speakers included Secretary to the Ombudsman Sindh, Mansoor Abbas Rizvi; Registrar Masood Ishrat; Secretary PRCS Sindh, Kanwar Waseem; Director of Climate and Disaster Justice Unit, Ombudsman Sindh Office, Imdad Hussain Siddiqui; Special Secretary Education, Syed Imdad Ali Shah; Chair UN PPT/ Provincial Head UNICEF Sindh Chair Prem Chand; and representatives from national and international NGOs.
During the Q&A session, Mr. Rajput provided comprehensive responses to participants’ queries. Later, Mr. Rehan Hashmi presented a commemorative shield and traditional Ajrak to the Chief Guest, Provincial Ombudsman Mohammad Sohail Rajput.
