The spokesperson to President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday said that no decision has yet been taken on the representation submitted by an official of the Health Services Academy, emphasizing that the automatic suspension of the Ombudsperson’s order was a statutory provision.
Spokesperson Murtaza Solangi, in a statement, rejected a rumour being circulated on social media regarding proceedings related to a Health Services Academy official and the decision of the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace, saying that a representation against the order of the Ombudsperson was received in the President’s Secretariat in accordance with the law.
“Under Section 14(2) of the Federal Ombudsperson Institution Reforms Act, 2013, the operation of the order stands automatically suspended for sixty days upon filing of such a representation. This suspension is a statutory requirement and does not mean that the individual has been cleared of charges or finally reinstated.”
The spokesperson explained that the complete official record had been called from the relevant forum for examination before placing the matter before the competent authority for a decision in accordance with the law.
“Any claim that the accused person has been cleared or granted final relief by the President is incorrect. The matter remains under review and will be decided strictly in accordance with the law,” he stated.
He said that the President of Pakistan was bound to act strictly according to the laws of the land and the public, as well as the media, were requested to avoid speculation in this regard.