By Prof Dr Noman Saeed
In a parliamentary democracy, effective governance rests on the responsiveness of the executive to Parliament and its accountability to the people. The Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs plays a pivotal role in this regard by working as a conduit between both the Houses of the parliament and Ministries/Divisions.
Recognising the need for a structured and centralised system to monitor executive responsiveness, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs introduced a first-of-its-kind Track and Trace Mechanism ahead of every sitting of the National Assembly and the Senate. This mechanism ensures timely and coordinated responses by relevant ministries and divisions on official and non-official business in line with the Orders of the Day and the Rules of Business, 1973, thereby strengthening institutional discipline and parliamentary oversight.
Public Affairs and Grievances Wing
The Prime Minister’s Public Affairs and Grievances Wing, operating under the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, functions as a formal conduit through which public petitions are received, examined, and transmitted to the relevant ministries and departments for redressal. It reinforces transparency, strengthens administrative accountability, and enhances public confidence in government institutions.
Democratic Imperative of Grievance Redressal
This institutional framework also reflects a broader democratic imperative: the obligation of the state to listen, respond, and rectify grievances raised by its citizens. A responsive grievance redressal mechanism is indispensable to democratic governance, as it translates constitutional accountability into tangible administrative action. In societies characterised by socio-economic disparities and uneven access to state institutions, such mechanisms assume even greater significance. In Pakistan, where a sizeable segment of the population remains disconnected from digital governance platforms, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs’ grievance redressal systems serve as a vital bridge between citizens and the state.
Performance in 2025
The relevance of this mechanism became particularly evident during 2025, when the Grievances Wing continued to prioritise petitions from marginalised and underrepresented segments of society, including citizens with limited access to digital platforms. During the year, a total of 21,281 public petitions were received from across the country as well as from overseas Pakistanis. These complaints are largely related to land grabbing, delays in the registration of FIRs, police misconduct, discrepancies in electricity and gas billing, pension delays, and issues concerning financial assistance—matters that directly shape citizens’ everyday interactions with the state.
Encouragingly, the Wing disposed of approximately 93 percent of the grievances, with only 1,536 cases remaining under process by the close of the year. This high disposal rate reflects improved institutional capacity, strengthened follow-up mechanisms, and enhanced coordination between the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and concerned federal and provincial departments. Timely escalation and systematic monitoring have helped curb bureaucratic hurdles.
Systemic Value of Complaint Data
Beyond providing individual relief, grievance redressal serves a critical systemic function. Aggregated complaint data offers valuable insights into recurring administrative and structural governance gaps. When analysed effectively, this feedback can guide policy recalibration, procedural reforms, and improvements in service delivery. In this respect, the Prime Minister’s Public Affairs and Grievances Wing functions not merely as a remedial forum but as a diagnostic instrument for governance reform.
Outreach to Flood-Affected Areas
As a special outreach initiative, the Grievances Wing extended its services directly to flood affectees by establishing Grievance Desks in flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, in close coordination with the local administration, to ensure on-the-spot resolution where possible. Complementing these institutional measures, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs also conducts periodic meetings in his office to personally hear public grievances and facilitate their timely resolution, reinforcing the state’s commitment to responsive and people-centric governance. This inclusive approach ensures that the grievance redressal mechanism remains accessible to citizens in distress.
Embedding Democratic Accountability
Ultimately, effective grievance redressal transforms public complaints into instruments of institutional learning and reform. By embedding responsiveness – both to Parliament and to citizens – within its governance framework, the government demonstrates principles of democratic accountability and transparency: the essential pillars of effective democracy.
