PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has formally institutionalised province-wide monthly e-khuli kutcheries under the ‘Awam Ka Ehsaas’ framework, making direct public access to authorities, a mandatory governance obligation.
Following the cabinet’s approval, all provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and administrative secretaries were communicated and directed to ensure regular conduct of monthly e-khuli kutcheries within their respective departments and formations, said an official statement issued from the chief minister’s secretariat.
Under the directive, monthly e-khuli kutcheries will be held across 23 provincial departments and their 69 attached, autonomous and semi-autonomous entities, the statement said, adding that the all departments were bound to ensure transparent, timely and effective redressal of public grievances.
Performance related to the conduct of these sessions and the resolution of complaints will be reviewed on a quarterly basis to ensure measurable accountability.
The chief minister, Muhammad Sohail Afridi, directed administrative secretaries, heads of attached formations and field officers to commence regular e-khuli kutcheries from March 1.
“To ensure uniform and effective implementation a special awareness session on standard operating procedures will be organised at the chief minister’s secretariat,” the statement said.
Mr Afridi described the initiative as a key strategy for strengthening public engagement and promoting good governance, adding that the forums would provide citizens with direct access to ministers and officials concerned, enabling prompt administrative and policy-level action on public complaints.
The relevant officers would appear before the public, listen to grievances and issue necessary directions on the spot to minimize delays in service delivery. The official communication further emphasises that the initiative was designed to advance transparency, impartial administration and institutional responsiveness.
“By formalising the mechanism through cabinet approval and quarterly performance review, the government has embedded public engagement within the administrative structure rather than treating it as a discretionary exercise,” the statement said.
Mr Afridi already launched online khuli Kutcheries from his office under the banner ‘Aap Ka Wazir-e-Aala Aap Ke Saath,’ the first phase of which has been completed.
In line with the cabinet decision, all cabinet members and administrative secretaries are bound to replicate the model at the departmental level to effectively identify and resolve service delivery bottlenecks.
Provincial ministers, advisers and special assistants will preside over sector-specific sessions within their respective domains to directly assess policy-level challenges and administrative weaknesses.
The statement also said that by mandating structured monthly engagement at every tier of governance, the government had reinforced a model of administration rooted in accessibility, accountability and measurable performance.
“The institutionalisation of E-khuli kutcheries marks a structured shift toward citizen-centered governance, ensuring that elected representatives and administrative authorities remain directly answerable to the people,” it added.
Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2026
