The Senate Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs on Thursday unanimously approved
“Federal Ombudsman Institutional Reforms Bill 2013” which had already been passed by the National Assembly.
The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Law was held in Parliament House under the Chairmanship of Senator Muhammad Kazim Khan.
According to the approved reforms bill, the Ombudsman is bound to dispose of the complaints within a period of sixty days of the filing date and the competent authority would inform the ombudsman about the action taken on his decisions against any particular official under subsection 3.
An Ombudsman would also have the power to punish for contempt, in case of non compliance of orders by authority as provided in the contempt of court ordinance, 2003, the Bill added.
The Ombudsman may also grant stay operation of the impugned order for a period of sixty days, however, a review petition can also be filed against the stay orders, it said.
Moreover, the aggrieved party can 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 it within 90 days. The removal of Ombudsman from his office would be through Supreme Judicial Council on grounds of being incapable of properly performing duties or if found to have been guilty of misconduct.
The tenure of the Ombudsman would be for a period of four years and he could not be entitled for re-appoint or extension.
