Public complaints redressal: KP CM reviews mechanism

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi chaired a meeting on the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell to review complaints received from January to August 2026, progress on their resolution, and relief provided to citizens. The meeting was informed that the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell received a total of 3, 551 complaints through various channels during the eight-month period from January to August 2026. According to the briefing, 499 complaints were resolved at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat at the point of receipt, or complainants were provided with the necessary guidance. A further 498 complaints were found to be non-actionable due to jurisdictional limitations or legal complexities. The meeting was further informed that 2, 610 complaints were referred to the relevant provincial departments for necessary action. Of these, 988 complaints have resulted in relief, 11 in partial relief, while action on 781 complaints remains underway. Another 774 complaints were found to be non-actionable as they did not meet the requisite merit or eligibility criteria. The meeting was informed that land disputes and education-related matters constituted major categories of complaints received through the mechanism. The briefing further noted that 1, 090 complaints were received manually, 1, 047 through WhatsApp, 687 via email, 343 through phone calls, 273 through Facebook, and 111 through X. Speaking at the meeting, Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi said that the performance of the provincial government would not be judged by the number of meetings held or presentations made, but by the testimony and satisfaction of the people. He said that effective grievance redressal and meaningful public participation in governance are central to Imran Khan’s vision, adding that the provincial government was advancing this vision through practical measures and institutional mechanisms. The Chief Minister said that the future of the provincial government and the bureaucracy was directly linked to public satisfaction. He added that timely resolution of citizens’ issues and effective redressal of complaints would serve as key measures of government performance. He directed that citizens should be made aware of the relief provided through the Complaint Cell so that more people could benefit from the facility and access the available grievance redressal mechanism. The meeting also reviewed the Peshawar Nursing College incident. Taking serious notice of the incident, the Chief Minister said that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands. He made it clear that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police would not be allowed to become like the Punjab Police, adding that all those involved in the Nursing College incident would be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law. The Chief Minister said that the students of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are our children, adding that the provincial government would take every possible measure to protect their rights and serve their interests. Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while briefing the Chief Minister, said that a comprehensive public awareness campaign would be launched to inform citizens about the grievance redressal mechanisms available across the province. He further informed the meeting that the Chief Secretary’s Office and other departmental complaint cells would be integrated with the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell to strengthen coordination and establish a more effective and coherent grievance redressal framework. The Chief Secretary also stated that artificial intelligence would be used to analyse complaint trends and categories, enabling the government to identify systemic issues and introduce necessary reforms in the governance system. The meeting also considered further measures to strengthen the grievance redressal mechanism, enhance public awareness, improve interdepartmental coordination, and ensure more effective and timely resolution of citizens’ complaints. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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