Wafaqi Mohtasib Resolved a Record 261,101 Complaints in 2025

The Wafaqi Mohtasib, Pakistan's Federal Ombudsman, resolved a record 261,101 complaints against federal departments in 2025, up from 223,198 in 2024. Its decisions were carried out in 96.8% of cases. The figures are in its Annual Report 2025, presented to President Asif Ali Zardari on 8 October 2026.

The office handles complaints about federal bodies such as NADRA, the passport office, FBR, power companies, gas companies and Pakistan Post. Filing is free, and no lawyer is needed. The helpline is 1055.

The Federal Ombudsman resolved 261,101 complaints in 2025

Wafaqi Mohtasib Naveed Kamran Baloch called on the President at Aiwan-e-Sadr and presented the report. The President's office released the figures the same day. The headline number is 261,101 complaints redressed in 2025, which the office calls a record.

That is 37,903 more than the 223,198 handled in 2024, a rise of about 17%. More people are using the office, or more people are finding federal departments hard to deal with. Probably both.

Nearly 88% were decided within 60 days

The law gives the Wafaqi Mohtasib 60 days to decide a complaint. Nearly 88% of complaints in 2025 were disposed of inside that limit, the office told the President. So roughly one complaint in eight took longer.

The 96.8% implementation rate is the more useful number for a complainant. A decision is only worth something if the department actually acts on it. On the office's own figures, most departments did.

These are the office's own numbers about its own work. We could not read the full Annual Report 2025 on the ombudsman's website on 9 October 2026, so we cannot yet say which departments drew the most complaints. We will add that when the report is published.

The office now works from 28 cities

The Wafaqi Mohtasib told the President its presence has grown to 28 cities. That means many complainants can attend a hearing near home instead of travelling to Islamabad. Its website lists regional offices from Abbottabad and Bahawalpur to Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan and Faisalabad, among others.

It also runs One Window Facilitation Desks for overseas Pakistanis at international airports. Those desks deal with problems at the airport itself and with complaints about federal bodies that overseas workers and their families face.

How to complain to the Wafaqi Mohtasib

You can complain by phone, online, by email, by fax or by post. The office's website lists all five routes. Complaining is free.

1. Complain to the department itself first, and keep the date and any reference number.
2. If it does not fix the problem, call 1055, or 1056 for a complaint about a child.
3. Or file online through the complaint link on mohtasib.gov.pk.
4. Or send it by email to registrar.isb@mohtasib.gov.pk, by fax to 051-9217224, or by post.
5. Attach copies of your CNIC, your first complaint and any reply, and say exactly what you want done.

The postal address is the Office of the Wafaqi Mohtasib, 36 Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad. A fuller walkthrough, including what the office will not handle, is in how to complain to the Wafaqi Mohtasib, free of cost.

A clear complaint gets decided faster

The office handles hundreds of thousands of files a year. A short, dated complaint is easier to act on than a long one. Name the exact office, such as the specific NADRA centre or the power company's subdivision, not just the organisation.

Put the facts in order: what you applied for, on which date, what happened and what you want now. Say it plainly. "Issue my CNIC, applied 3 June, tracking number attached" works better than a page about how unfair it all was.

Keep copies of everything you send. If the office later asks for a document, you will have it ready, and a missing paper is a common reason a file slows down.

Which complaints go somewhere else

The Wafaqi Mohtasib covers federal departments only. A provincial office has its own ombudsman. Banks and insurers have separate ombudsmen of their own too.

• A bank problem goes to the Banking Mohtasib.
• A refused insurance claim goes to the Insurance Ombudsman.
• A Sindh government office goes to the Sindh Ombudsman.
• Workplace harassment goes to the federal or provincial harassment ombudsperson.

Courts are outside the Mohtasib's reach as well. And a matter already before a court will not be taken up.

Common questions

How many complaints did the Wafaqi Mohtasib resolve in 2025?

A record 261,101, against 223,198 in 2024, according to its Annual Report 2025.

Is it free to complain to the Wafaqi Mohtasib?

Yes. There is no fee, and you do not need a lawyer.

What is the Wafaqi Mohtasib helpline number?

1055 for general complaints and 1056 for complaints about children.

How long does the Wafaqi Mohtasib take to decide?

The legal limit is 60 days. Nearly 88% of complaints in 2025 were decided within it.

Can I complain about NADRA or a power company?

Yes. Both are federal bodies. Complain to them first, then to the Wafaqi Mohtasib if they do not fix it.

How we verified this

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

Last checked 9 October 2026. The 2025 and 2024 complaint totals, the 96.8% implementation rate, the 88% within 60 days, the 28 cities and the airport desks come from the Press Information Department's release of 8 October 2026 on the President receiving the Annual Report 2025. The helplines, email, fax, postal address and regional offices come from the Wafaqi Mohtasib's website, which also shows the report being presented on 8 October 2026. The 37,903 and 17% figures are our own arithmetic. The full report was not on the website when we checked.