The litigants are expected to get much needed relief as the Ombudsman is bound to dispose of the complaints within a period of sixty days of filing date.
According to Federal Ombudsman Institutional Reforms Bill, approved by the Standing Committee on Law, all government offices would inform ombudsman about the action taken on his decisions against any particular official under Sub-Section 3.
The bill also empowers the Federal Ombudsman to punish the officials in contempt of non-compliance of orders by the authority as provided in the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003.
The Ombudsman may also a grant stay operation of the impugned order for a period of sixty days. However a review petition could also be filed against the stay orders.
Moreover, the aggrieved party could also file a plea to the president against the decision of Ombudsman within thirty days and a retired federal ombudsman or a senior lawyer of Supreme Court would decide the case within 90 days.
The removal of Ombudsman from his office would be through the Supreme
Judicial Council on the grounds of being incapable of properly performing duties or found to have been guilty of misconduct.
The tenure of the Ombudsman would be for a period of four years and he was not entitled for re-appoint or extension.
