LAHORE, March 5: Federal Ombudsman Javed Sadiq Malik has said his establishment has not stopped entertaining complaints against Wapda and gas companies and the setting up of regulatory authorities in these fields had made no implications on the powers and the jurisdiction of the office of the `Wafaqi Mohtasib’.

According to regional office of the law ministry, it had received a clarification on jurisdiction of the federal ombudsman’s office which said that the people were free to submit complaints about maladministration and irregularities in the two departments.

The regional office said it received the clarification upon complaints coming from consumers which were sent to the ombudsman with the observation that the Mohtasib’s office had not been entertaining complaints against Wapda and gas companies on the ground that the ombudsman’s powers were taken away when the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) were established.

According to the clarification, as released to the press by the regional office on Monday, the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s office derived powers from the President’s Order No 1 of 1983 and it had not been amended to curtail its jurisdiction. The ombudsman office enjoyed the same powers and jurisdiction as were given to it through the President’s Order.

Another press release of the regional office said the federal ombudsman had given a last opportunity to officials of public departments to appear before investigation officers assigned to probe against them on complaints received from the people.

The officers concerned have been directed to appear along with the relevant record to ensure that complaints were not kept pending for the reason that the officers were not appearing before investigation officers.

The ombudsman, according to the press release, had taken a serious notice of the absence of the officers facing charges of irregularities and had called for a record of the officers who had not been appearing before the ombudsman’s investigators.