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The institution of the Wafaqi
Mohtasib was established in January, 1983 and has continued functioning till
date. The success of this institution in addressingills of maladministration is
reflected in the fact that not only have Ombudsman's Offices been created in
the provincial government but also a range of such offices has been created in
different specific sectors of federal government like tax, banking. insurance
and protection of women against harassment at work pace etc. As more and more
people got aware of the functioning of this easily accessible institution for
expeditious and cost free resolution of their grievances against government
agencies, the number of complaints grew with the consequential increase in the
redressal of the grievances. Over the years, 17 Regional Offices of the WMS
have been created which are redressing the grievances of the complainants by
using latest information technology tools. Besides, systemic reforms have been
undertaken to address the root causes of the complaints and a number of
initiatives have been taken for the betterment of the aggrieved citizens. The
WMS has also contributed meaningfully for promotion of Ombudsmanship at
international level and currently the Wafaqi Mohtasib is the President of the
Asian Ombudsman Association.
In order to analyze the evolution
process of the WMS, the entire period of 40 years has been divided in three
time slots for the purpose of having a broad view of the significant aspects of
the evolution process. The details of these significant aspects are as follows:
1983 to the year 2000:- In the formative phase, it was
initially in 1985 that the then Wafaqi Mohtasib highlighted the need to add a
new dimension to the institution's conceptual and operational framework in the
context of eradication of maladministration. He also made a number of other
recommendations for enhancing efficiency and responsiveness in the government
functioning in general as well as specific aspects of administration.
The establishment of regional
offices of the WMS in the provincial capitals was notified in January, 1983 and
with the support of the government, a regional office each was actually
established at Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta in the years 1984-85 which
enabled the WMS to start working with full force.
In the year 1986 the then
President Gen. Muhammad Zia UI Haq visited the WMS and indicated that he had
urged upon the provincial governments to establish this worthwhile and useful
institution which had proved its efficacy, effectiveness and relevance for the
welfare of the people and dispensation of justice.
Earlier in the year 1990,
President Mr. Ghulam Ishaq Khan issued a directive to all Agencies exhorting
them to promptly implement the recommendations of the Wafaqi Mohtasib and
extend their full cooperation to him.
In 1995, the then Prime Minister
directed all the Federal Agencies to ensure compliance promptly in respect of
the cases involving pension, gratuities or other benefits arising on
retirement; for giving preference in employment to the widow or children of
deceased/retired employees in grade 1 to 11 as per relevant recruitment rules;
for appointment of women against their reserved quota; medical expenses;
insurance claims; utility bills; compensation or remission allowed to widows,
orphans, invalids or incapacitated persons where the amount was not more than
Rs.5 lac in an individual case and was permissible under the law.
In 1996, Pakistan had the unique
honour of successfully pioneering the formation of the Asian Ombudsman
Association (AOA). It was a great privilege to have an international
organization established with its secretariat in the Office of the Wafaqi
Mohatasib at Islamabad. The Wafaqi Mohtasib of Pakistan became the first
President of the AOA and continued to hold this prestigious position till the
year 2013 when there was a gap in appointment of regular Mohtasib. Pakistan has
not only been hosting the meeting of the Board of Directors of the AOA at
Islamabad but has ever since been contributing a lot in promotion of the
concept of Ombudsmanship internationally.
In 1999, the first draft of the
Regulations for Investigation and Disposal of Complaints was prepared. The
draft was based on the consolidated circulars issued in 1987 and actual
investigation practice evolved over the years. Most of the investigation
procedures were introduced by Pakistan's first Mohtasib, Chief Justice Sardar
Muhammad Iqbal. The Regulations were approved and circulated among all the
Investigation Officers in October, 1999. These Regulations were subsequently
amended slightly in the years 2003 and 2013 to bring in greater clarity.
It was in the year 2000 that the
then Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf visited the WMS and directed the
concerned authorities of the Govt. to look into the proposal for grant greater
financial and administrative autonomy to WMS and establishment of its regional
offices. Consequently, 4 new regional offices were establishment at Sukkur,
Multan, Faisalabad and D.I Khan in June, 2000.
2001 to the year 2016:- This period reflects a rapid
transformation of the WMS in the context of institutional reforms, expansion of
its scope of activities, enhanced ability to deal with public complaints, lot
better office accommodation facilities, availability of modern technology for
registration and monitoring the processing and disposal of complaints. New
mechanisms were introduced to provide for expeditious disposal of public complaints.
Great emphasis was placed on implementation of the decisions of the Mohtasib
and the Implementation wing was strengthened. Revolutionizing the complaint
processing mechanism, a Complaint Management Information System (CMIS) was
conceived by the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat (WMS) in the year 2005 and was
formally launched in July 2007, under the Access to Justice Program. This is a
state-of-the-art system, which is palpably contributing towards the efficient
functioning of the WMS.
In the years 2015 & 2016, the
Wafaqi Mohtasib constituted a number of committees of experts and professionals
to look into the root causes of persistent complaints against various agencies
and to suggest remedial measures. The committees undertook exhaustive studies
and submitted their reports which were forwarded to the government for further
consideration and implementation of the recommendations contained in the
reports.
2017 to the year 2022:- In this period the focus of attention
of the WMS remained on resolving maximum number of complaints and pursuing the
implementation of the recommendations of the reports prepared in the context of
systemic reforms. Greater than ever reliance was placed on the use of latest
information technology tools for registration, processing and disposal of
complaints as well as monitoring the implementation of the recommendations /
decisions of the Wafaqi Mohtasib. Besides, focused attention was paid on
enhancement of public awareness about the functions of the WMS and the results
turned out to be very positive.
During the period, the WMS has
evolved and grown into a premier organization of administrative accountability.
He has tried to live up to its mandate and has continuously stove to improve
its functioning and standards over the years.
Interestingly, greater use of information technology during this period has remarkably increased the outreach of the WMS further and has made it easily accessible to the public to a far greater extent. The initiatives taken by it to carry out systemic reforms and to facilitate the general public further enhanced the stature and clout of this institution in this period. at September 23, 2023 No comments:
Pakistan established diplomatic
relations with the United States following its independence in 1947. The year
2022 marks the 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations
between Pakistan and the U.S. In August 1947 message to then Governor General
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, President Truman pledged the firm friendship and good will
of the United States, saying, "The American people anticipate a long
history of close and cordial relations with your country". In the
seventy-five years since. Pakistan and the U.S. have worked closely together to
advance our mutual interests of stability, security, and economic development
in Pakistan, the region, and beyond.
Pakistan and the United States
have a long-standing and broad-based relationship. Over the past 75 years, the
Pakistan and United States have built a relationship based on mutual respect,
mutual interest, shared goals, and people-to-people ties. Cooperation has been
in a wide array of areas ranging from trade and investment, health, education,
energy and climate change.
Robust economic and cultural
cooperation complement the strategic underpinnings of the Pakistan-U.S.
relationship. The United States has been one of the largest sources of foreign
direct investment in Pakistan and remains Pakistan's largest export market.
Trade and investment relations between the United States and Pakistan continue
to grow, and both countries seek to deepen commercial ties.
This pivotal anniversary of
diplomatic relations offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on the breadth
and depth of the long-standing friendship between Pakistan and the United
States and highlights our many joint accomplishments.
The commemorative stamps show
flags and used colors of the two countries green, white, red and blue. The
stamps project important national monuments including the Minar-e-Pakistan, the
statue of Liberty.
Minar-e-Pakistan is considered
the national emblem of Pakistan, and an expression of national identity.
Minar-e-Pakistan is a national monument built between 1960 and 1968 to mark the
spot where the All-India Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution on 23 March
1940. The resolution (later known as the Pakistan Resolution) eventually helped
lead to the emergence of an independent Pakistan state in 1947.
The tower of Minar-e-Pakistan
reflects a blend of Mughal/Islamic and modern architecture. the structure uses
the imagery of crescents and stars, signs that symbolize the culture of
Pakistan, similarly seen in the
National Flag. At the base, there
are floral inscriptions on ten converging white marble commemorative plaques.
The inscriptions include the text of the Lahore Resolution. On different
plaques, Quranic verses and 99 names of Allah are inscribed in Arabic
calligraphy. Other important inscriptions included on the monument are the
National Anthem of Pakistan, excerpts from the speeches of Muhammad Ali Jinnah;
and a few couplets written by Allama Iqbal.
The U.S. Statue of Liberty is a
figure of Libertas, a robed Roman liberty goddess. She holds a torch above her
head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata
inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals), the date of the
U.S. Declaration of Independence. A broken shackle and chain lie at her feet as
she walks forward, commemorating the U.S. national abolition of slavery. After
its dedication, the statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, seen
as a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving by sea.
On occasion of the 75th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Pakistan and the United states, Pakistan Post is issuing the Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs.20/- denomination on December 27th, 2022.
The Ida Rieu Welfare Association
(IRWA) established in 1922, runs the oldest educational facility for the Blind
and Deaf in Pakistan. In the year 2022 we will be celebrating one hundred years
of our dedicated services to people with visual and hearing impairment. Lady
Ida Augusta Rieu was the wife of Mr. J L Rieu Commissioner in Sindh of the
British Raj who was appointed here in 1919. She devoted her life to the service
of the poor and the deprived. Ida Rieu actively provided care and comfort to
the blind, deaf and homeless people. Upon her passing away in 1921 the civic
leaders of Sindh resolved to honour her memory by setting up an association in
her name ensuring the continuation of good works she had initiated.
Over the last one hundred years,
thousands of Blind and Deaf students have completed their education at Ida Rieu
and greatly improved the quality of their lives and their social interactions.
There are many Ida Rieu graduates successfully engaged in teaching, computer
operations, music, sports, dressmaking, painting, industrial plant operations
and many other respectable professions. IRWA Centenary is a tribute to all
those who made it possible to empower our blind and deaf children and played a
role in securing a better future for them.
What is Blindness?
Complete blindness is the
inability to see anything including light while partial blindness may be a
condition of cloudy vision, an inability to see shapes, seeing shadows only or
having a tunnel vision. Extent of blindness varies from person to person.
Common causes of blindness are birth defects and eye injuries while diseases
like glaucoma, cataracts, optic neuritis, retinitis pigmentosa and tumors can
also cause blindness.
What Is Deafness?
Profound deafness is the
inability to hear anything even when sound is amplified. There are four levels
of hearing loss: mild, moderate, severe and profound. Sensorineural deafness is
a nerve damage due to which the cochlea does not work and Conductive deafness
means that sound does not pass through the outer and middle ear into the inner
ear. Common causes of deafness are hereditary or genetic disorders, trauma and
diseases like mumps, cytomegalovirus, chickenpox, meningitis and Meniere's
disease. Hearing loss hinders development of speech and language and in turn
language deficit causes learning problems.
Our academic program ranges from
Montessori up to Masters level. We are affiliated with the University of
Karachi for our graduate and post graduate studies. On skill development we
provide Auto Cad, Dressmaking, Needlework, Painting, Book Binding, Music and
similar trainings. In the area of Sports we encourage our students to fully
participate in all forms of sporting events. Ida Rieu's Blind
Cricket Team is well known in
Pakistan for its outstanding performance over decades. Our students perform
well in Martial arts such as Judo and Karate and have earned many Gold Medals.
They participate with great enthusiasm in Scouting camps and annual Jamborees.
Responding to the growing need
for providing education to children with visual impairment in interior Sindh
Ida Rieu started a School for the Blind at Rashidabad near Tando Allah Yar in
2015. This spacious purpose-built school provides free education, boarding and
lodging to children with visual impairment from all over Sindh.
To Celebrate 100 years of Ida Rieu for service Schools for the Blind & Deaf Children (1922-2022), Pakistan Post is issuing a Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs.20 denomination on 23rd November, 2022.
To celebrate 75 years of the
establishment of Pakistan-Australia diplomatic relations, the High Commission
for Pakistan, Canberra, Australia in collaboration with Pakistan Post is
issuing a Commemorative Stamp.
The stamp depicts the Parliaments
of Pakistan (Islamabad) and of Australia (Canberra) which are symbols of highly
dignified and esteemed democracies of the two countries. Pakistan and Australia
have a long history of friendship and cooperation The diplomatic relations
between Pakistan and Australia were established soon after Pakistan gained
independence in 1947. Australia established its resident diplomatic Mission in
Pakistan in 1948. The relations between the two countries have grown in all
areas during the past 75 years.
The bilateral cooperation between
Pakistan and Australia extends to the fields of politics, economies, trade and
investment, defence and security, technology, social and economic development,
education, and tourism. The two countries have established institutional
mechanisms to discuss ongoing and explore new avenues of cooperation. The
common passion for cricket and the presence of over 100,000 strong Pakistani
Diaspora in Australia acts as a strong bridge between the two countries and
their peoples.
Furthermore, the two countries
work closely at multilateral foras. They have been extending support for each
other's candidatures at important regional and international organizations. The
Pakistan-Australia bilateral trade in goods and services is worth $1.84
billion. Major exports from Pakistan to Australia are textiles, petroleum,
rice, spices, surgical instrument, and leather goods. The export of IT-related
services from Pakistan to Australia is on the rise.
Australia's major goods exports
to Pakistan are pulses and oilseed, along with fertilizer and scrap metals.
Education services exports forms the majority of Australia's $880 million
services exports to Pakistan.
Pakistan appreciates its friendly
ties with Australia and looks forward to further strengthening cooperation in
all areas of mutual interests including Information Technology, Infrastructure,
Climate Change, Education, Agriculture, and Water Management.
Long live Pakistan-Australia
Friendship!
On 75 Years Diplomatic Relations Between Pakistan and Australia, Pakistan Post is issuing the Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs 20/- denomination on 15th November, 2022.
