How to Complain to the Wafaqi Mohtasib, Free of Cost

If a federal government department has ignored you, lost your file, demanded something it should not, or simply refused to move, you can complain about it for free, and the law gives 60 days for a decision.

The office is the Wafaqi Mohtasib, the Federal Ombudsman. Its own slogan is "free of cost justice at your door step". Almost nobody uses it, and the people who most need it are the least likely to know it exists.

What it covers

Complaints against all federal government departments, which the law calls agencies. Around 160 of them are connected to the Mohtasib's complaint system.

In practice that means the offices most likely to have wasted your time: NADRA, the passport office, FBR, utilities under federal control, WAPDA bodies, the post office, federal hospitals, federal universities.

What it does not cover is worth knowing before you waste an application:

• The Supreme Court and the Supreme Judicial Council
• The Federal Court and the High Courts
• Provincial departments, which have their own provincial ombudsmen

So a complaint about a Punjab Excise office or a Sindh school is not a Wafaqi Mohtasib matter. A complaint about a passport office is.

The step people skip

This is the single most common reason a complaint goes nowhere.

You are expected to complain to the department itself first. Under the integrated complaint registration system, you approach the agency directly, and it is bound to respond within 30 days.

If it does not reply, or the reply is unsatisfactory, that is when the Mohtasib takes over. Going straight to the Mohtasib without giving the department its 30 days usually just adds a step.

So keep proof of the first complaint. A dated letter, an email, a portal reference number. That document is what makes the second stage work.

How to actually file it

There are four routes, and one of them is simply a phone call.

Email is also accepted through the registrar's address published on the site. We are not reprinting it here because you should copy it from the official page rather than from us, but it is on mohtasib.gov.pk.

What to put in the complaint

1. Which department, and which office. Not "NADRA" but the specific centre.
2. What you asked for and when. Dates matter more than adjectives.
3. What happened, in order. Short factual sequence, not a narrative of how you felt.
4. Proof you complained to them first, and what they said or did not say.
5. What you want. The document issued, the fee refunded, the decision reversed. Be specific.
6. Your CNIC and contact details, and a number you will actually answer.

Keep it to one page if you can. A complaint that states a clear failure and a clear remedy is easier to act on than one that lists every frustration.

What actually gets results

Two things separate a complaint that moves from one that sits.

Ask for something the office can actually do. "Issue my passport, application number X, submitted on this date" is an instruction a caseworker can carry out. "Take action against these people" is not, and it tends to produce a reply saying the matter has been noted. If there is a specific document, refund or reversal you want, name it.

Complain about the failure, not the person. Naming an official is sometimes necessary, but a complaint framed as a personal grievance invites a defence of that individual. A complaint framed as a service failure invites a fix. The second one is faster and it is also what the institution is designed to handle.

One more practical point. If your case involves a deadline you are about to miss, say so in the first line and give the date. Time-sensitive matters can be prioritised, but only if the office knows they are time-sensitive.

What it costs, and how long

Nothing. There is no fee, no stamp paper and no requirement for a lawyer. That is the whole design of the institution.

The statutory time limit for a decision is 60 days. Complicated cases, particularly where official records are not readily available, can take longer. That is slower than you would like and faster than a court.

When it is the wrong tool

Being honest about the limits saves people months.

If your problem is with a bank, the Banking Mohtasib is the right office and it has its own procedure, including a 45 day wait after you complain to the bank. We set that out in the guide to complaining about your bank.

If you want to raise something with any government body quickly and informally, including provincial ones, the Prime Minister's portal is the broader net, and we covered it in the guide to using the Pakistan Citizen's Portal.

And if the underlying problem is a service you have not been able to access at all, it is often faster to fix the application than to complain about it. Our guides to applying for a passport and applying for a CNIC cover the two most common cases.

Questions readers are asking

Does it cost anything to complain to the Wafaqi Mohtasib?

No. The service is free, and the office describes itself as providing free of cost justice. You do not need a lawyer.

How long does a decision take?

The statutory limit is 60 days. Complicated cases where records are hard to obtain can run longer.

Which departments can I complain about?

All federal government departments, around 160 of which are connected to the complaint system. Courts are excluded, and provincial departments go to provincial ombudsmen instead.

Do I have to complain to the department first?

Yes, in effect. The agency is bound to respond within 30 days, and your complaint to the Mohtasib is much stronger once that period has passed without a proper answer.

What is the Wafaqi Mohtasib helpline?

1055 for general complaints and 1056 for complaints concerning children.

Can overseas Pakistanis complain?

Yes. Complaints can be sent by post, fax, email or through the online system, so being outside Pakistan is not a bar.