Giving an interview talking about his Tax Ombudsman Institution in Pakistan the recently retired Tax Ombudsman stated that now tax officials remain afraid of that there exists a system of redressal and that institutions in Pakistan were strenghtening than the persons. The fact is since long each one going Ombudsman in Pakistan may he be federal or provincial saying similar things during his tenure and on his retirement. Though I cannot trace the reference but I do remember sometime mid 1990s the then Federal Ombudsman claiming that government officials today while coming office are afraid of that people might go to Ombudsman. Do we the people of this country face this practially, I do not need to give answer. As far as the point that institutions are strengthening the one single self speaking reference would suffix that March this year first His Excellency the President and a week later the then HE the then Prime Minister Mr. Zafarullah Jamali stated that all institutions in Pakistan were detriorating.
The then His Lordship Chief Justice of Sindh and the then Federal Ombudsman after a joint meeting remarked that non response by public functionaries was the mother cause of public frustrations and 70% of public complaints can be solved merely by timely response. After this true diagnosis they the sitution was remedied?
Federal Ombudsman has issued a number of diretives to Pakistan Post Office to strictly observe the relevant Rule which makes it mandatory to immediately and invariably acknowledge public communication following by an invariable final reply. A huge is being “wasted” on installation of computerisation and web mails in government departments without knowing that it is not the technology rather the man who sits behind or in front of technology. When the man is the same what effect the technology will bring.
A news item appeared that Pakistan Post Office had introduced an email system. It is now more than 3 months each week I addressing simultaneously both by e-mail and separately by Pakistan Post Office e-letter system by name Director General Pakistan Post Office Islamabad requesting to let me know the detatails of this e-mail facility, if it is some new facility or the old one, but not a single response so far has come. Is the Director General afraid of that citizen might go to Ombudsman? If the ombudsman system has strengthened then why no body in the Department is afraid of that non compliance to ombudsman orders that department should give timely reply can be disobeyance of ombudsman orders which can be taken note of. Today no government official is afraid of from any accountability.