KARACHI, July 19: A complaint was recently lodged at the office of the Sindh Ombudsman, Yousuf Jamal, against the Director Research and Assessment, Jamshoro and the Sindh Education and Literacy Department for discrimination in granting scholarship. This was stated in a communiqué from the secretariat of the Ombudsman Sindh issued on Tuesday.

It said that the said agencies had claimed that the complainant’s institution was not on the approved list when, in fact, they themselves had miswritten the name of the institution in the complaints file.

They further falsely alleged that his application was submitted late while attacking the credibility of his certificate.

Regarding the former allegation, the parties themselves stated that the complainant’s application was processed and, on the latter allegation, the complainant submitted proof in the form of a letter from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

It was thus decided that the Education and Literacy Department had committed an act of discrimination, which amounted to maladministration under Section 2 of the Establishment of the Office of Ombudsman for the Province of Sindh Act 1991.

The Ombudsman Sindh thereby directed the secretary, Education and Literacy Department to frame necessary regulations for the approval and recognition of institutions so that such a case does not recur.

The case of the complainant for reconsideration for grant of the scholarship was also recommended, the statement added.—APP