Complain to a Federal Department First in Pakistan: 30 Days, Then It Moves to the Wafaqi Mohtasib

The Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman) says it set up complaint focal persons in 188 federal agencies in Pakistan, and that a linked agency has 30 days to settle your complaint. If it does not, the complaint moves to the Ombudsman's system on day 31 as a fresh complaint. This applies to departments linked to the Ombudsman's system, which include NADRA, FIA, SNGPL, SSGC, K-Electric, WAPDA, Pakistan Post, Pakistan Railways and HEC.

We read the "Public Complaint Resolution" page of the Wafaqi Mohtasib on 14 October 2026. We did not file a complaint through any department.

The Ombudsman says focal persons sit in 188 agencies

The page says an Instant Complaint Resolution Mechanism was set up on the Federal Ombudsman's initiative in 188 agencies, and that 247 focal persons were appointed. A focal person is the officer named in each department to receive and push your complaint.

You can file with the agency in person or by any other way, such as post, fax or email. The page says the complaint is entered in a proper register, uploaded on the agency's web system, and disposed of within 25 to 40 days. The page gives no way to find the focal person's name or number, so ask at the department's front desk or on its website.

The figures are the Ombudsman's, with no date on the page. We did not check them against a list of agencies. The general steps for the office are in our guide to the Wafaqi Mohtasib.

Day 31 is the date a complaint moves up

Linked departments register your complaint on their own web system and tell you. The page says that if the department has not resolved it in 30 days, it is transferred to the Wafaqi Mohtasib's interface, called CIMS, on the 31st day.

After it arrives there, the page says it is treated as a fresh complaint under President's Order No. 1 of 1983. Both the Ombudsman and the department can see its status from the day it was filed until it is closed.

That is a useful design for you, because you do not have to start again. Keep the complaint number that the department gives you, and quote it if you call the Ombudsman helpline on 1055. For the filing limits and what the Ombudsman cannot take, see the Wafaqi Mohtasib complaint rules.

The two time figures on the page differ. One line says 25 to 40 days, another says the transfer happens on day 31. We read the 30 day rule as the point where the complaint moves up, and the 25 to 40 days as the department's target for disposing of it.

Check that your department is on the linked list

The page says the web link was first introduced in "22 out of 130" federal agencies, then lists far more names. We counted about 40 lines in the list, so the number "22" looks out of date. The list includes the following groups, and the page says other agencies will be connected later.

• Utilities: LESCO, FESCO, IESCO, MEPCO, GEPCO, PESCO, QESCO, HESCO, SEPCO, K-Electric, WAPDA, SNGPL and SSGC.
• Identity and travel: NADRA, the Immigration and Passports Directorate, FIA, Pakistan Railways and Pakistan Post.
• Money and savings: the Finance Division, the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues, the Central Directorate of National Savings and the State Life Insurance Corporation.
• Education: the Higher Education Commission and Allama Iqbal Open University.
• Ministries and others: Interior, Housing and Works, Commerce, Establishment, Foreign Affairs, Industries and Production, IT and Telecommunication, the Anti Narcotics Force, the Intelligence Bureau and the Utility Stores Corporation.

If your department is on the list, use its web system first. If it is not, the Ombudsman's general route still works. Provincial bodies are outside this system and have their own ombudsmen, such as the Sindh Ombudsman.

Follow this order for a federal complaint

These steps are our suggestion, based on the Ombudsman's page.

1. Find the department's complaint focal person or complaint cell.
2. File in writing, in person or by email, and ask for a complaint number.
3. Note the date, and count 30 days from it.
4. Follow up once at day 15 in writing, and keep the reply.
5. If nothing is settled, check whether the complaint moved to the Ombudsman on day 31.
6. Call 1055 with your complaint number to confirm the transfer.

For a specific case such as a passport delay, the guide on passport complaints shows the department's own route, and a NADRA problem has its own steps in the guide to complaining to NADRA.

Common questions about department complaints and the Ombudsman

Do I have to complain to the department first?

The Ombudsman's FAQ says it is advisable, not mandatory. The department may settle the case at its own level, which saves time.

How long does a department have?

The page says 30 days at the agency level before the complaint moves to the Ombudsman, and describes 25 to 40 days for disposal. Plan for 30.

What happens on day 31?

For linked agencies, the page says the complaint is transferred to the Ombudsman's CIMS interface on the 31st day and treated as a fresh complaint.

Does every federal office have a focal person?

The page says 247 focal persons were appointed in 188 agencies. It does not say every office has one. Ask the department directly.

Is there a fee?

The Ombudsman's FAQ says no fee is charged for a complaint to the Ombudsman. We found no fee for the department route either, but the page does not say.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 14 October 2026. The 188 agencies, 247 focal persons, 25 to 40 days, 30 day transfer and the linked list come from the "Public Complaint Resolution" page at mohtasib.gov.pk. The page is undated and its "22 of 130" count does not match its own list. We did not test any department's system. The numbered steps are ours.