ISLAMABAD: Senior Law Advisor to Wafaqi Muhtasib (Federal Ombudsman) and Commissioner Overseas Complaints Hafiz Ahsan Ahmad Khokhar has said details of Pakistani prisoners in the jails of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq and other countries have been summoned from foreign office and steps will be taken on emergency basis to contest their cases and secure their release soon. In an exclusive interview with Daily Times he said that speedy and inexpensive justice has been provided to the citizens by giving decisions timely and disposing of 40,000 complaints pertaining to different departments including Sui Gas, Ministry of Water and Power, Education, Health, CDA and others. “It is our desire that the confidence of the people will enhance on institutions if ends of justice are met as soon as possible”, he remarked. He went on to say that 21000 complaints were received against NADRA and most of them related to duplicate cards and incorrect entry of names and others. These all complaints have been disposed of timely and committee has been constituted to guard against the recurrence of such lapses in future and take action against the corrupt employees, he added. Committee comprising 10 members has been set up under Gen (Retd) Asif Yasin Malik, which will determine the general public is suffering on account of what mistakes of corrupt mafia and make recommendations to the government to initiate legal proceedings against the corrupt elements. Responding to a question he said that it is still not known to citizens for what Wafaqi Muhtasib stands. Media should play vital role in creating awareness among the people on this count so that they could come to know that Wafaqi Muhtasib Institution can give early decision by hearing their complaints against all government departments. He said that 11 persons whom no salary was paid for several months and their passports were confiscated were rescued and brought to Pakistan immediately. These Pakistanis were in miserable condition therein and were stranded in Iraq. There is information that more Pakistanis are languishing therein. Foreign office personnel have been called in this regard and directives will be issued to them for taking more steps after soliciting their opinion. Ta another question he said officers of Wafaqi Muhtasib are functioning in 90 districts of the country wherein speedy and inexpensive justice is being meted out. “We are employing efforts to dispose of the complaints in less time than this. The complaints received in connection with pension have also been disposed of. Now every month ministries and departments inform us on an affidavit that no pension case is pending with them”, he added. It is personal desire of Wafaqi Muhtasib that such a system is evolved which provides all the information on one click. Ministry of IT has been called today so that it provides us easy technology to enable us to monitor all the government offices including jails, NADRA and other departments. Answering to another question he said there should be automation system in place in jails so that it could be ascertained when some prisoner was convicted and sentenced and under what crime and when the period of conviction will come to end. In manual system it is not known to heirless prisoners they are serving jail term under what offence. Jail authorities have been summoned on June, 14 and it will be asked from them about number of children and women prisoners in the jails, he said, adding, “It will be our endeavour that amount of fine be paid in respect of the prisoners upon whom nominal fine has been imposed and steps be taken to secure their release. We are considering to provide services of law officer to extend legal assistance to heirless prisoners”, he added.