THIS is apropos the letter ‘Pakistan Citizens’ Portal’ (Feb 5). The writer has very rightly drawn attention towards factors which are limiting the effectiveness of the portal.

Even the 13 million owners of smart phones have very little utility of this portal. Complaints and suggestions registered on this portal are sent to irrelevant ministries and divisions and, therefore, get lost in thin air. Registering a complaint is thus similar to lodging a written complaint to the authorities concerned in the government departments. Everyone is aware of the fate of such complaints or suggestions for improvement.

Suggestions regarding improvement in ‘open skies’ policy and national aviation policy, which have ruined the aviation industry in Pakistan, were amazingly forwarded to chief secretary of Sindh.

The complaint code SD 181218-0650618, SD 181218-0650468, and SD011118-0164734 were all sent to irrelevant departments. The complaint code SD 251218-0757977 was also sent to department which were not concerned and was later shown as ‘resolved’ since it did not pertain to that department.

On complaint code SD 040119-0909162, which was fortunately forwarded to the department concerned, the department has put it on the backburner by asking the complainant to provide the internal documentation and records of the department itself.

Instead of verifying the complaint from their own records and responding accordingly, they have shifted the responsibility and showed the matter as ‘in progress’. I agree that the portal is of little use and is hardly effective.

Abid Hasan
Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2019