How to Complain to the Balochistan Ombudsman: File Within 3 Months, Free, With an Affidavit
Complain to the Balochistan Ombudsman free within 3 months, in Urdu or English, with a CNIC copy and affidavit. See the steps, the 15 day reply and your appeal.
To complain to the Balochistan Ombudsman, write your complaint in Urdu or English, attach a copy of your CNIC and an affidavit, and hand it in at the Ombudsman's office in Quetta, send it by post, or give it to the Ombudsman's officers when they visit your district. File within three months of learning about the problem. The Ombudsman handles maladministration by Balochistan government departments, and there is no fee in the law.
Maladministration is the legal word for a government office treating you badly: a decision against the rules, a bribe demand, favouritism, or simple delay and neglect. The Balochistan Ombudsman, also called the Provincial Mohtasib, exists to fix exactly that. We read the 2001 Ordinance that set up the office and the 2005 complaint regulations on 20 October 2026.
Below is what counts as a complaint, how to file it, what happens next, and what you can do if the decision goes against you.
The Ombudsman covers Balochistan government offices only
The Ombudsman can investigate any department, commission or office of the Balochistan government, and any corporation or body the province controls. Federal offices, courts, defence matters and foreign affairs are outside its reach, and so are cases already pending in court.
Section 2 of the 2001 Ordinance defines maladministration widely. It includes a decision that is against law or rules, one that is arbitrary, biased or discriminatory, one based on irrelevant grounds, and any use of power for bribery, jobbery, favouritism or nepotism. It also includes neglect, delay, incompetence and inefficiency.
So a teacher's salary stuck for months, a health department refusing to process a file, or a revenue office sitting on a mutation can all be complaints.
There are three firm exclusions in section 9. The Ombudsman cannot take up a matter that is already before a court or tribunal on the day it receives the complaint. It cannot touch foreign affairs or defence. And it cannot hear a government employee's personal service grievance against their own department.
Three things every complaint needs
A complaint must be in writing, signed by the person affected, and backed by a solemn affirmation or affidavit. The investigating officer will also ask for a copy of your CNIC. A complaint without these can be dismissed, and anonymous complaints are never accepted.
| Requirement | Rule | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Urdu or English | Regulation 3(1) |
| Who files | The person affected, an authorised representative, or legal heirs after death | Ordinance s10(1), Regulation 3(1) |
| Affidavit | Allegations true, no earlier complaint, no court case pending | Regulation 3(2) |
| Identity | Copy of National Identity Card | Regulation 7(2) |
| Time limit | Three months from when you first knew of the problem | Ordinance s10(3) |
| Anonymous complaint | Not accepted | Ordinance s10(2) |
The affidavit has three statements. Your allegations are true to the best of your knowledge. You have not filed a complaint on the same subject before. And no suit, appeal or petition on the matter is pending in any court. If any of these is not true, sort it out before you file.
The three month limit is not absolute. The Ombudsman can accept a late complaint if there are special circumstances, so explain the delay in your letter instead of giving up.
How to file a complaint step by step
You can present the complaint in person or through a representative at the office, send it by mail or other means, or hand it to the Ombudsman and his officers when they visit district and tehsil headquarters. The Ordinance puts the principal seat in Quetta and allows regional offices.
- Write a short complaint naming the office, the officer if known, what went wrong and the dates.
- Say what you want: a decision, a payment, a file processed, or action against delay.
- Attach copies of your applications, receipts and any replies from the department.
- Attach a copy of your CNIC.
- Sign an affidavit with the three statements, attested by an oath commissioner.
- Submit it and keep the acknowledgement receipt with its diary number.
Regulation 3(3) says the registry must give you an acknowledgement receipt, in person or by post. Keep it. It is your proof of filing date if the three month question ever comes up. If your issue is a lack of information from a department, a right to information request in Balochistan may get you the papers you need first.
The department usually gets 15 days to answer
Once your complaint is admitted, the investigation officer asks the department for a written report, normally within the period in the notice and ordinarily not more than 15 days on request. If the department stays silent, the Ombudsman can summon an officer and move to contempt or disciplinary action.
You then get a chance to reply. Regulation 10 says you may be asked for a rejoinder within up to 30 days, extendable by up to 20 more. If you do not reply in time, the officer can finish without you, so watch your post and phone.
If the case drags beyond three months, regulation 15 says you must be told of progress at least once every three months. Hearings are fixed only when needed, and the department must send an officer who knows the facts.
When the Ombudsman finds maladministration, section 11 lets him tell the department to reconsider, cancel or change its decision, explain itself, act within a set time, or take disciplinary action. Section 22 also allows compensation for loss caused by maladministration, recoverable from the officer or department.
You have 30 days to challenge a decision
If you disagree with the Ombudsman's decision or order, section 32 lets you make a representation to the Governor of Balochistan within 30 days. The Governor can pass any order he thinks fit. A department that refuses to comply can also be referred to the Governor.
The federal route works the same way with the President, as in our guide to challenging an ombudsman decision. Do not let the 30 days lapse while waiting for an informal answer.
One warning. Section 14(4) lets the Ombudsman award compensation against a complainant whose complaint is false, frivolous or vexatious, recoverable like land revenue. A genuine complaint has nothing to fear from this. A made-up one does.
Other provinces have the same system with their own rules, such as the KP Provincial Ombudsman and the Sindh Ombudsman. For a quick general complaint to the Chief Minister's office, the Awaaz portal is another option.
Common questions
Is there a fee to complain to the Balochistan Ombudsman?
The Ordinance and the 2005 regulations set no fee. You only pay for the affidavit stamp and attestation.
How long do I have to file?
Three months from when you first knew of the problem. The Ombudsman can accept a later complaint for special reasons.
Can I complain about a federal office in Quetta?
No. The Balochistan Ombudsman covers provincial offices only. Federal offices fall under the federal ombudsman.
Can a government employee complain about a transfer or promotion?
No. Section 9(2) bars complaints about a public servant's own service matters in the agency where they work.
Can someone file for me?
Yes. An authorised representative can present it, and after the affected person's death a legal representative can file.
What if I disagree with the decision?
Make a representation to the Governor of Balochistan within 30 days of the decision or order.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read the Establishment of the Office of Ombudsman for the Province of Balochistan Ordinance, 2001 on the Balochistan Code, and the 2005 complaint regulations published on the Balochistan government website, on 20 October 2026. We could not reach a working website for the Ombudsman's office, so we do not print a phone number or street address. Confirm the current office address at your district headquarters before you travel. We did not file a complaint ourselves.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
