Islamabad:Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Zafarul Haq Hijazi on Tuesday outlined key institutional priorities, including effective use of information technology, procedural uniformity, stronger inter-institutional coordination through the FPO, and enhanced public outreach.
“Public awareness of ombudsman institutions is limited, so there is a need for simplified outreach strategies to ensure easy access to grievance redressal mechanisms,” Hijazi told a meeting of the Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman at the FTO Secretariat here.
The consultative meeting brought together ombudspersons from across the country. The federal tax ombudsman reaffirmed the FTO’s commitment to collaboration within the FPO framework, emphasising citizen-centric reforms, institutional harmony and transparent justice delivery. He also highlighted the importance of institutional experience while electing representatives to key FPO positions.
International achievements of FPO members were acknowledged, including the election of Punjab Tax Ombudsman Ayesha Hamid as vice president of the International Ombudsman Institute and Sindh ombudsman Sohail Rajput as IOI director.
Policy discussions focused on digitization, use of emerging technologies and legal reforms to enhance efficiency and accountability. Fauzia Viqar highlighted the role of IT systems and responsible use of artificial intelligence in improving service delivery.
Former Ombudspersons shared best practices, including institutional conferences, public awareness initiatives and online training programmes introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
