Establishment of Office of Ombudsman for Sindh (Amendment) Bill challenged in SHC.

KARACHI -- Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman AltafShakoor here Monday challenged the Establishment of the Office of Ombudsman for the Province of Sindh (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in Sindh High Court. As per details, through a constitutional petition (572/2020) making Sindh Chief Secretary, Speaker Sindh Assembly, Chief Minister and Governor Sindh respondents, the petitioner maintained that for the development and welfare of the country, it was necessary to check and eradicate corruption and criminality from all public offices.

He said that due to the massive corruption in the function of usual discharging of duty by the government officers, the appointment in the offices of Government and State was carried out without merits and without seeing the ability of the candidates and the appointments are being done on their own sweet will and wishes without even conducting the personal verification and the antecedents upon heavy bribes. He said due to these illegal activities and induction of unwanted peoples in the public offices, they harm the whole structure of Pakistan through corruption and bribery. The heavy expenditures of government offices the country has burdened the country heavy debts and the nation pays a high price in shape of price hike and the lives of the people have become miserable and poor people are committing suicides.

The petitioner maintained that the respondent Chief Minister has jeopardized, and taken over the powers of Respondent Sindh governor for the appointment of the Provincial Ombudsman under the umbrella of Provincial Assembly by malafidely misusing the majority of political seats and representation in the Assembly and snatched and looted the powers of Respondent Governor for appointment of the impartial person in the Provincial Ombudsman office for check and balance and eradication of corruption and smooth function of the government office in line of duty and to redress the grievance of the general public who aggrieved by the act of the Government officers and government offices.

He further maintained that malafidely, illegally, unconstitutionally, the Bill in this regard presented and sent to the Governor for amendment in the establishment of the Ombudsman Act, Sindh 1991, in which the salient features of the amendments are:

1. Control of Ombudsman Institution has been transferred from Governor Sindh to Chief Minister Sindh including appointment of Ombudsman by Chief Minister.

2. Doing away with the provision of...