How to Complain About a World Bank or ADB Funded Project in Pakistan
Harmed by a World Bank or ADB project in Pakistan? See who can complain, what to send and the ADB's 2, 5 and 60 day clocks, with official complaint links.
If a World Bank or Asian Development Bank (ADB) project in Pakistan harms your land, home, water or income, you can complain to the lender itself. The World Bank takes written complaints at grievances@worldbank.org. The ADB needs two or more affected people and asks you to try its project office first.
Dams, roads, water schemes and power lines funded by foreign lenders can push families off land or damage fields. The state agency running the work is the first place to complain, but it is not the only one. We read the World Bank's Grievance Redress Service pages and the ADB's Accountability Mechanism pages on 15 October 2026, and the rules below come from them. The ADB says it has committed 789 loans, grants, guarantees and technical assistance operations worth US$45.8 billion to Pakistan, so the route matters to many people.
The World Bank takes complaints from one person or a whole community
The World Bank's Grievance Redress Service accepts a complaint from any individual or community who believes a Bank-supported project harms them or is likely to. A complaint is admissible if the project is in preparation, active, or closed less than 15 months ago.
You must be affected by the project, or be the authorised representative of people who are. A representative must give a name, signature, contact details and written proof of authority.
The complaint must be in writing. You can use the online form, email grievances@worldbank.org, or send a letter to the Bank's Washington headquarters or any World Bank country office. The Bank says supporting evidence is not required, but it helps. It also says all complaints are confidential and your name is not shared without your consent.
The ADB wants two or more affected people and a first try with its project team
The ADB's Accountability Mechanism accepts a complaint from a group of two or more people directly and adversely affected by an ADB-assisted project, or from their authorised representative. You must first contact the ADB department running the project and try to fix the problem.
Only if you are not satisfied do you file with the ADB's Complaint Receiving Officer. You then choose one of two paths. The Special Project Facilitator helps everyone talk and agree on a fix, which the ADB calls problem solving. The Compliance Review Panel investigates whether the ADB followed its own rules.
You may write in your own words, in any official or national language of a borrowing country. The ADB warns that translation takes extra time and that English is its working language.
| Point | World Bank GRS | ADB Accountability Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Who can file | Any affected person or community, or a representative | Two or more affected people, or a representative |
| First step | File directly with the GRS | Raise it with the ADB project office first |
| How to send | Online form, email or letter | Online complaint form to the Complaint Receiving Officer |
| Language | Not stated on the page we read | Any national language, English is the working language |
| Identity | Confidential | Kept from ADB parties other than the two reviewers, unless you agree |
Gather six facts before you write the complaint
Both lenders ask for the same core facts: which project, who is harmed, how, and what you already tried. The ADB lists minimum contents. A short, dated, specific letter works better than a long angry one.
- Name the project and, if you can, its number and the agency running it.
- Describe the harm: lost land, a cracked house, blocked water, a lost job or unpaid compensation.
- List the names, addresses and contact details of at least two affected people for the ADB.
- Say whether you want your identity kept confidential.
- Describe the steps you already took with the project office or agency, and when.
- Attach photos, notices or letters, and say what outcome you want.
For the ADB you also state your choice, problem solving or compliance review. The ADB says you may change your choice within 21 calendar days after it confirms the details with you.
The ADB acknowledges within 2 working days and sets clear clocks
After you file, the ADB's Complaint Receiving Officer acknowledges receipt within 2 working days. If details are missing, you have 60 calendar days to supply them, or the file closes. The officer then decides where to send the complaint within 5 working days.
Registering a complaint only confirms the ADB received it. It does not mean the complaint is eligible. The ADB then sends it to the Compliance Review Panel or the Special Project Facilitator, and tells you within 2 working days who to contact.
| ADB step | Time the ADB lists |
|---|---|
| Acknowledge your complaint | 2 working days |
| Give missing details | 60 calendar days |
| Change your choice of path | 21 calendar days |
| Decide where to forward it | 5 working days |
| Tell you who to contact next | 2 working days |
Some complaints fall outside both routes
The ADB will not take complaints about procurement decisions, fraud or corruption claims, or a project closed more than two years ago. The World Bank sends procurement complaints through a separate process, so send those to the right office instead.
The ADB also rejects complaints about actions that have nothing to do with its own work on the project.
If your problem is with a Pakistani agency rather than the lender's rules, a local complaint may be faster. A provincial ombudsman is free in Punjab, as shown in how to complain to the Ombudsman Punjab, and the KP Provincial Ombudsman works the same way in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The ADB also says people should first use any grievance system built into the project. Ask the agency running the work how it takes complaints, and keep the reply.
Know which projects are in play before you file
You cannot complain about a project you cannot name. Both lenders publish project lists, and Pakistan's newest lender news appears in stories such as the ML-1 Karachi to Rohri upgrade where ADB is weighed and the planned ADB export accelerator programme.
On 15 October 2026 the World Bank's Projects list showed 63 active projects for Pakistan. The ADB's Pakistan page lists its recent approvals, including a US$400 million regional border facility announced on 27 August 2026. Search by project name to find the lender and the agency, then file with the right body.
Common questions about complaining about a lender-funded project
Do I need a lawyer to complain to the World Bank?
No. The Bank asks for a written complaint with the project, your name and contact details. Evidence is optional, and you may use a representative with written proof of authority.
Can one person complain to the ADB?
The ADB says a complaint must come from a group of two or more affected people, or from their authorised representative. A single person should find at least one other affected neighbour.
Will my name be public?
The World Bank says complaints are confidential. The ADB keeps your identity from other ADB parties, except its two reviewers, unless you agree to share it.
Can I write in Urdu?
The ADB accepts complaints in any national language of its borrowing countries, though translation adds time. The World Bank page we read does not state a language rule, so ask the Bank before you send.
What if the project already finished?
The World Bank accepts complaints up to 15 months after a project closes. The ADB does not entertain complaints when two or more years have passed since the loan or grant closing date.
Does a complaint stop the project?
The pages we read do not say a complaint stops a project. The ADB path aims either to agree a fix or to review whether the ADB followed its rules.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 15 October 2026. World Bank rules come from the Grievance Redress Service page. ADB rules, contents, exclusions and time limits come from the ADB page on filing a complaint and the ADB Pakistan country page, which we opened that day. We did not file a complaint. The World Bank also has an independent Inspection Panel, but we could not open its current rules page, so we do not describe it here.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
