A ceremony was held at the Regional Office of the Provincial Ombudsman in Sargodha to mark the 30th anniversary of the Provincial Ombudsman Office. Commissioner Sargodha Division Hafiz Shaukat Ali, Regional Police Officer Shahzad Asif Khan, Deputy Commissioner Hussain Ahmad Raza Chaudhry, Provincial Ombudsman Advisor Sargodha Region Muhammad Ilyas Gul, and other senior officers attended the ceremony.
Addressing the ceremony, Commissioner Hafiz Shaukat Ali congratulated all officers and employees of the Provincial Ombudsman Office on its 30th anniversary. He said that all government departments in Sargodha Division were performing their responsibilities effectively in public service delivery, development activities, and resolution of public grievances.
He appreciated the role of Provincial Ombudsman Advisor Sargodha Region Muhammad Ilyas Gul, saying that his continuous coordination with him and other officers of the division had contributed significantly to the timely resolution of public complaints. He added that the district administration and the Provincial Ombudsman Office would continue working together to provide better services to the people.
RPO Shahzad Asif Khan said that the Provincial Ombudsman Office was playing an important role in providing free and prompt justice to citizens. He directed the DPOs of all four districts of Sargodha Region to ensure immediate action on complaints received from the Provincial Ombudsman Office.
Provincial Ombudsman Secretary Qaiser Saleem said that the office had received a record number of nearly 70,000 applications during the previous year, compared with an annual figure of no more than 35,000 in earlier years. He said that the institution’s performance had further improved through the Public Service Programme, digitization, and training initiatives.
Provincial Ombudsman Advisor Sargodha Region Muhammad Ilyas Gul briefed the participants on the performance of his office and measures taken for the effective resolution of public complaints. He said that Provincial Ombudsman Ayesha Hamid had introduced effective reforms in the institution during the past two years, which were producing positive results.
He said that under the Mobile Van Programme, nearly 5,000 applications had been received from citizens in remote areas. The initiative had helped extend the services of the Ombudsman Office to areas where citizens faced difficulties in accessing the regional office.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, shields were distributed among distinguished guests and officers. Commissioner Hafiz Shaukat Ali, RPO Shahzad Asif Khan, and other officials also cut the cake to mark the 30th anniversary of the Provincial Ombudsman Office.
