The Pakistan Citizen’s Portal (PCP) allows citizens to provide suggestions, register complaints, report law violations, and seek guidance.
The Prime Minister’s Performance Delivery Unit (PMDU), established in 2013 and recently reorganised, aims to promote citizen-centric and participatory governance. It has created a nationwide mechanism for resolving citizens’ complaints and grievances, with a special focus on serving overseas Pakistanis, women, special persons, and foreigners.
The unit’s goal is to provide citizens with a simple way to communicate with government entities and have their issues resolved promptly. PMDU will also ensure government accountability through quantified performance management, and recommend changes to cumbersome official procedures.
The Pakistan Citizen’s Portal (PCP) allows citizens to provide suggestions, register complaints, report law violations, and seek guidance, and PMDU is responsible for ensuring fair and efficient handling of these matters.
Graana.com gives a detailed overview of Pakistan’s Citizen Portal below, including its uses, features an,d follow-up mechanism.
Features of the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal
The following are its key features:
- Free registration on the portal creates a direct connection with government authorities.
- You can lodge complaints, report problems, and suggest ideas on the portal.
- Itl allows you to reach the highest government official of the department you want to file a complaint against.
- You do not need a reference or middle man to use it.
- It provides real-time tracking of complaint status.
The purpose of the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal is:
- To enable government organisations to quickly respond to and resolve complaints from registered citizens
- To ensure that complaints are forwarded to the appropriate government departments
- To provide timely responses to complaints and keep complainants updated on the grievance resolution process
- To monitor the final solution provided to the complainant and evaluate its effectiveness
- To reopen complaints if they are not resolved satisfactorily
- To consider suggestions and incorporate them into policy-making
- To establish procedures for maintaining confidentiality
- To integrate existing complaint cells of government entities with the PCP
Uses of the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal
The Pakistan Citizen’s Portal can be used for the following:
- You can file complaints about personal issues, law violations, or any social responsibility.
- You can request information about any government organisation.
- You can provide suggestions for administrative reforms or addressing existing societal problems.
Complaint Handling Through Prime Minister’s Portal
To use the Prime Minister’s Portal for complaint handling, you need to first register on the portal. The registration process is simple and can be completed by downloading the PCP app (available on Android or iOS) and entering your details.
Once registered, you can easily file a complaint about poor service delivery, staff behaviour, inefficient systems, merit violations, poor administration etc.. Your complaint will then go through various stages of processing.
New Complaints
“New Complaints” are indicated by an icon on the dashboard. The complaint remains in this category until it is reopened for further comments and actions. The time frame for resolving the complaint starts at this point and will be tracked accordingly.
In-Process Complaints
“In-Process Complaints” are those that have been opened and action is being taken accordingly. The first step in resolving these complaints is to transfer them to the relevant authorities for prompt execution.
Escalated Complaints
The complaint process begins by forwarding it to the appropriate departments and offices that typically handle citizen grievances. If the complaint remains unresolved within the time frame set by the Prime Minister’s Portal, it becomes an “Escalated Complaint”. This type of complaint goes through two stages: Initial Escalation and Super Escalation.
20 days after the complaint is lodged, it enters the Initial Escalation stage, indicated by a red icon on the portal. The complaint is then directed to a higher government official in the department.
If the complaint remains unresolved after 41 days, it reaches the Super Escalation stage. At this point, the complaint becomes visible to all higher authorities in the relevant government office as well as the Prime Minister’s Office. The fact that 41 days have passed without resolution is emphasised, and those officials who were previously involved in resolving the complaint will be held accountable.
However, we will not deem the government office inefficient if there was a delay in forwarding the complaint to the relevant organization due to the need for clarification and additional details from the complainant, or if the complaint involves the joint responsibility of multiple organizations. Additionally, we will not hold the government office accountable for complaints that involve fraud, misrepresentation, or litigation
Forwarded Complaints at Pakistan Citizen’s Portal
The focal person is responsible for managing the dashboard and forwarding complaints to the relevant government organisation.
The forwarding feature enables two-way communication, allowing complaints received in error from either a registered member or a government entity to be redirected to the appropriate organisation within 24 hours (excluding weekends and public holidays) through the system.
The complaints that were sent due to an error are retrieved and redirected to the concerned authorities along with appropriate comments.
Complaint Resolved
The Pakistan Citizen’s Portal allows citizens to track the resolution of their complaints. The person handling the dashboard selects one of three options to indicate the outcome: “Relief granted”, “Partial relief granted”, or “Relief cannot be granted”. The portal does not guarantee a full resolution to the complaint, as various factors can influence the outcome.
When taking action toward resolving a complaint, we may choose to mark it as “partial relief granted.” If the complaint has been fully resolved, we will mark it as “relief granted” and provide remarks and references to show the complainant’s satisfaction.
Complaint Reopening
A complaint that has been closed incorrectly must be immediately reopened and resolved. The head of the organisation may also reopen a closed complaint if they determine that the resolution was not adequate or satisfactory to the citizen, based on feedback.
If a government organisation fails to resolve a complaint and the citizen brings the matter to the Prime Minister’s office, the case will be reopened as a top priority.
Follow-Up Mechanism at Pakistan Citizen’s Portal
An efficient monitoring system is in place to assess the performance of government organisations and analyse the complaints they receive. This can provide valuable feedback for improving service delivery and processes. Monthly meetings are held to examine the complaints.
Furthermore, federal government organizations must conduct comprehensive performance audits and citizen feedback surveys every quarter. They must provide regular reports, including trends in complaints and systemic issues, to the head of the organizations, along with recommendations for improvement.
We will evaluate the organizations’ performance by measuring the speed at which they resolve complaints, the number of complaints they successfully resolve, the quality of their response to citizens, and the feedback received from citizens.
Dropping Complaints
A complaint, query, or a suggestion on any dashboard can be dropped on the following grounds:
| S. No. | Reason | Explanation |
| 1 | Court matters | Complaints involving issues subjudice in any court of law. Implementation of a court decision/judgement shall be excluded. |
| 2 | Political matters | Complaints pertaining to affairs of a political party/organisation or having political contents with no role of the government. |
| 3 | Family/domestic issues | Complaints pertaining to purely family matters with no involvement of the government. |
| 4 | Classified matters | Complaints or queries about subjects classified under a law or pertaining to national interest/security. |
| 5 | Matters related to national security/interest | Complaints regarding strategic matters or deployment of forces, assets, or any critical subject or relationship with other countries. |
| 6 | Immoral/unlawful contents | Complaints containing unlawful, abusive, derogatory, or pornographic content/images. |
| 7 | Service matters | Complaints regarding service matters of government organisations, such as postings/transfers, promotions, inquiries, seniorities, service rules, up-gradation, regularisation. Cases of pension or salary stoppage shall not be dropped. |
| 8 | Unclear and vague contents | Complaints with incomplete or vague contents that are difficult to understand. |
| 9 | Non-issue | Complaints regarding non-issues that neither pertain to service delivery nor involve any grievance. |
| 10 | Sensitive subjects | Complaints pertaining to sensitive topics such as religion, ethnicity, sect, hate speeches etc. |
| 11 | Job seeking | Complaints seeking jobs or employment, but cases involving violation of merit in recruitment processes shall be excluded. |
| 12 | Duplicate complaint | One main complaint shall be processed while multiple complaints on the same issue from the same complainant shall be dropped. |
| 13 | Corruption/malpractices | Complaints pertaining to corruption/malpractices or its sub-categories lodged in any other irrelevant category. |
FAQs About the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal
The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal:
What is the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal?
The Pakistan Citizen’s Portal is an online platform launched by the Government of Pakistan to provide citizens with a convenient and accessible way to register their complaints and grievances, as well as to receive updates and feedback on the status of their requests.
How can I access the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal?
Citizens can access the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal by visiting the official website or downloading the mobile app. The platform is available 24/7 and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.
What types of complaints and grievances can I register on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal?
Citizens can register a wide range of complaints and grievances on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal, including issues related to government services, utilities, and public facilities. The platform provides a comprehensive list of categories and subcategories to help citizens select the appropriate category for their complaint.
How will I know if my complaint has been resolved?
Once a complaint is registered on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal, the concerned government department will review it and take appropriate action. Citizens will receive regular updates on the status of their complaint through the platform, including notifications of any actions taken or feedback provided.
Can I track the progress of my complaint on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal?
Yes, citizens can track the progress of their complaint on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal. The platform provides real-time updates on the status of complaints, including any actions taken by the concerned government department.
Is it mandatory to provide my personal information when registering a complaint on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal?
Yes, it is mandatory to provide personal information when registering a complaint on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal. This information is required to process and track the complaint effectively. Citizens can be assured that their personal information will be kept confidential and used only for the purpose of resolving their complaint.
How long does it take for my complaint to be resolved on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal?
The time taken for a complaint to be resolved on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal depends on the nature and complexity of the complaint, as well as the responsiveness of the concerned government department. Generally, the platform provides citizens with regular updates on the status of their complaint and aims to resolve complaints in a timely and efficient manner.
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