PROVINCE REPORT
PESHAWAR: Rubab Mehdi, the Provincial Ombudsperson for the Protection of Women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has released her office’s first annual performance report, revealing that women across the province were awarded property worth Rs 4.10 billion over the past year, with more than 20,000 hearings conducted to date.
Addressing a press conference, the Ombudsperson said her office was established under the constitution to provide swift and affordable justice to marginalized segments of society-particularly women-who cannot bear the lengthy delays and costs associated with conventional courts. She said the office’s mandate covers two key laws: the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act, 2019. Under the Harassment Act, the Ombudsperson holds the powers of a High Court, while in property rights cases she exercises the powers of a District Court.
She recalled that when she took oath of office, the institution had a backlog of 2,397 pending cases, with new complainants being given hearing dates as far out as November and December. Under the earlier system, only 20 to 25 cases were heard daily- a pace she deemed inadequate. She subsequently increased the daily cause list to 80–120 cases. Although the move was initially dismissed as unworkable, the entire backlog was cleared within four months, she said. She added that the office now receives 15 to 20 new complaints daily, with roughly 4,000 fresh cases registered so far, and that any complainant is guaranteed a hearing date within 15 to 20 days.
She clarified that legal representation is not mandatory, and citizens are free to pursue their cases without a lawyer if they choose.
To ensure enforcement of rulings, the office signed memorandums of understanding with the National Assembly and the Provincial Assembly, she said. In the interest of transparency, an official website was launched, and an agreement with Pakistan Post was signed to make correspondence traceable, so that no party could later claim non-receipt of official communication.
In property-related cases where revenue records are found deficient or where implementation of orders faces obstruction, the office dispatches commissions to resolve the matter on the ground. So far, 226 commissions have been constituted, of which 144 have been completed, resulting in women being handed the keys to their homes.
Rather than confining its work to Peshawar, the office held open courts (khuli kachehris) across all divisions of the province — including Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Hazara and Malakand — marking the first time the Women Ombudsperson, the divisional commissioner and the Regional Police Officer (RPO) were present together, enabling women to receive on-the-spot relief. According to the report, 97 percent of complaints raised at these open courts were resolved on site.
The Ombudsperson said her office recently held a webinar with vice chancellors of 48 universities to raise awareness of the Harassment Act and to ensure that inquiry committees are established at every institution.
She said the office has compiled nearly 900 testimonials, recorded with the consent of women who have received their due rights. Citing one example, she referred to a case filed in 2009 – pending for 17 years- that her office resolved within two months, after which the woman concerned was handed the keys to her house.
The Ombudsperson appealed to media representatives to also highlight the institution’s achievements and positive developments, noting that negative news tends to receive disproportionate attention while public-service institutions working for people’s welfare often remain under-recognized.
