IN order to cater to the needs of the large number of overseas Pakistanis living, working or studying in different parts of the world, this country’s foreign missions must play a responsive and proactive role.

In this regard, it is welcome that the grievance commissioner for overseas Pakistanis has asked the Foreign Office to instruct envoys in missions abroad to hear public complaints on a weekly basis. The federal ombudsman had issued a similar directive.

Also read: Ambassadors told to hear complaints on weekly basis

As reported on Monday, diplomats have been asked to upload their contact details and set up online appointment systems to resolve public complaints. If implemented in earnest, these steps can do much to address issues faced by citizens living in foreign countries.

Too often within Pakistan, the bureaucracy is less than enthusiastic about providing relief to the people; unresponsive officials in foreign countries can make a bad situation worse, especially if citizens there are faced with unfamiliar legal issues.

From routine issues such as the renewal of passports and procuring other national documents, to more serious concerns such as accessing counsel in case of legal problems, Pakistani missions abroad play a critical role.

Those familiar with the work of Pakistan’s diplomats say our officials do interact with expatriate communities. Some missions, especially in countries where Pakistani community members are present in large numbers — such as the US, the UK and the Gulf states — have community welfare attachés as well as other officials whose job description involves resolving citizens’ issues.

Officials from the mission also travel to different cities to set up camp offices to look into the community’s problems. However, complaints do arise and there is a lot of room for improvement.

For example, if the envoy is active, the mission’s staff will go the extra mile to resolve people’s issues. But in missions where the head is not very active, the staff can follow suit and be unresponsive and lethargic.

Hopefully, what this system of lodging complaints will do is to streamline the communication process between members of the Pakistani community and the diplomatic staff.

While projecting and protecting the country’s interests abroad is indeed the central focus of any state’s diplomatic activity, the provision of assistance to citizens must be of equal importance.

Our officials abroad must be available to help Pakistanis in distress as well as address their routine issues. Citizens cannot be left in the lurch, especially in foreign countries where the legal system is often complex and unfamiliar.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2016