ISLAMABAD: Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi was re-elected unopposed as the president of Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA) at Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan) on Monday.

Heads of ombudsman institutions in Azerbaijan, Hong Kong and Iran were elected as vice presidents. The general assembly of AOA is the electoral body for the election of various positions.

Mr Qureshi thanked the general assembly for expressing confidence and trust in Pakistan’s contribution in promoting the cause of ombudsmanship and the ultimate goals of good governance and the rule of law in Asia and beyond.

He highlighted the centrality of ombudsmanship as an effective mechanism for promoting the rule of law, good governance, justice and fair play in the daily life of the common man. He added that the ombudsman institutions constitutes a universal fraternity that makes a strong case for greater interaction and mutual cooperation in pursuit of their common goals and aspirations.

He said ombudsmanship had taken firm roots in Pakistan. Over 1.8 million households have benefited from the services of this institution since its inception. The number of complaints handled last year was 164,173 while during the first eight months of the current year, 123,519 complaints had been received and the figure was projected to reach 185,533 by the end of the year.

He said the objectives and purposes of the establishment of the ombudsman institution had a direct bearing on the realisation of the overall goals of the promotion and protection of fundamental rights and good governance in all spheres of life. He assured the international partners that Pakistan remained ready to share its experiences and best practices in promoting professionalism in the work of the ombudsman institutions for the benefit of the Asian regional fraternity.

AOA is a major non-political, independent and professional body of international character representing more than two thirds of the world population.

Its current membership is 46 ombudsman institutions from the Asian region. The association was established following the first Asian ombudsman conference held on April 15-16, 1996, in Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2023