October 17, 1998, remains one of the darkest days in Pakistan’s history-a day the entire nation went into profound shock upon hearing the tragic news of the assassination of a true masih? (healer) of the common man. Hakeem Muhammad Saeed was a rare visionary: soft-spoken, deeply compassionate, and a relentless champion of the belief that education is the bedrock of a nation’s success. Hakim Muhammad Saeed was born in New Delhi on 9 Jan 1920 to an educated and religious Urdu-speaking family. His forefathers and family had been associated with the herbal medicine business, and had established the Hamdard Waqf Laboratories which today has emerged as one of the largest manufacturers of Unani medicines in the world. In 1942, Hakim Saeed obtained Pharmacy and BS in medicinal chemistry. Later on he joined Hamdard Waqf Laboratories as a junior researcher and participated in herbal quality control while formulating medicines. In 1945, Hakim Saeed obtained M.Pharm in Pharmacy from the same institution. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Hakim Muhammad Saeed left his hometown with his wife and daughter. They settled in Karachi. He established Hamdard Laboratories and served as its first director until his death in 1998. In 1952, he travelled to Turkey where he attended the Ankara University and was awarded a PhD in Pharmacy. Hakim Saeed began practicing medicine and continued to research Eastern medicines. Having established the Hamdard Laboratories in 1948, he was one of the driving forces in Pakistan for engaging the research in medical biology and medicines. In 1953, after his doctorate, he joined the Sindh University as the associate professor of Pharmacy and taught courses in organic chemistry. But, the best contribution of his life is the establishment of Madinah-al-Hikmah. It comprises Hamdard University with institutes as Hamdard College of Medicine and Dentistry, Hamdard Al-Majeed College of Eastern Medicine, Hafiz Muhammad Ilyas Institute of Herbal Sciences, Hamdard Institute of Education & Social Sciences, Hamdard Institute of Management Sciences, Hamdard Institute of Information Technology, Hamdard School of Law, Faculty of Engineering Science & Technology, Hamdard Public School and Hamdard Village School. Bait-al-Hikmah (the Library) is also a constituent part of Madinat-al-Hikmah. This is one of the biggest and best-stocked libraries of Pakistan. Look at the vision and foresight he displayed A great thinker son of Pakistan Hakim Muhammad Saeed Shaheed felt the need of establishing a think tank in Pakistan. It was in 1961 a beginning was made giving name of Sham-e-Hamdard.In this forum persons selected from different fields purely based on merit were picked up who would assemble once a month to discuss one major issue and give their input without any reservations. Recommendations framed after discussion were sent to government for considerations and drive benefit for the betterment of the country. The sphere of Sham-e-Hamdard was restricted to Karachi. Keeping in view popularity of this program close to year 1995 Hakim Muhammad Saeed Shaheed decided to change name of Sham-e-Hamdard to Shura Hamdard. To ensure merit and transparency Hakim Mohammad Saeed Shaheed invited members of Sham-e-Hamdard who have been participating regularly in meetings to become members of Shura Hamdard. While inviting he made following remarks. “You are certainly the elite intellectuals of Pakistan and have as a whole edge over the Parliament and every assembly. Please come forward and help me in this national service. Let us work with utmost sincerity and good intentions and impartiality, and consider it a national duty to laud those in authority for their good deeds and take exception to their errors”. He was posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan in 2002 where as he deserved many awards during his life time.  He was a preeminent medical researcher in Eastern medicine, an esteemed author, a scholar, a philanthropist, and a statesman who served as the Governor of Sindh from July 1993 to January 1994.A Legacy of Healing and Knowledge Hamdard Foundation: Established in 1948, it grew into a household name across Pakistan, with iconic herbal products like the children’s syrup Naunehal becoming a staple in homes nationwide. He authored, compiled, and edited approximately 200 books spanning medicine, philosophy, science, health, religion, literature, social issues, and travelogues. Global Recognition: In 1981, he was honored as a founding member of the World Cultural Council, an international nonprofit organization based in Mexico, projecting Pakistan’s intellectual footprint globally. A Nation’s unending loss while on his way to supervise a medical experiment at Hamdard Laboratories in Karachi, Hakeem Saeed was gunned down by hired professional killers. His assassination sent immediate shockwaves through the country, prompting the federal government to impose direct rule over Sindh. It remains a profound tragedy that even after nearly three decades, true justice has yet to be fully realized. His loss was not merely the passing of an individual, but a monumental setback to Pakistan’s intellectual and humanitarian soul. Hakeem Muhammad Saeed Shaheed left behind an immortal legacy of service, patriotism, and an unwavering commitment to the upliftment of society. Though physical hands silenced him, the ideals he lived for continue to inspire generations. Hakim Muhammad Saeed Shaheed till he lived preached for two important slogans for Pakistan firstly he wanted every child should go to school and ” Be Pakistani and Buy Pakistani”. Had this nation acted on his advice the country would have been leading country of the world. His advice was not taken but as a well-wisher of state his voice was silenced forever. Following the profound tragedy of Hakeem Muhammad Saeed Shaheed’s passing, his daughter stepped forward with remarkable courage to assume the responsibilities and ensure the seamless completion of the monumental tasks left behind by her illustrious father. Holding the fort with an extraordinary sense of responsibility, she has not only sustained his lifelong mission but has also expanded its horizons by introducing several new educational and welfare projects. Carrying the torch efficiently and yielding excellent results, she keeps his vision alive-ensuring that helping the poor and uplifting the underprivileged remains a top priority, true to the enduring spirit of her father. Hakeem Muhammad Saeed Shaheed left behind an immortal legacy of service, patriotism, and an unwavering commitment to the upliftment of society. Though physical hands silenced him, the ideals he lived for continue to inspire generations through the dedicated hands of his family. Reflecting on his irreplaceable void and towering stature, one is poignantly reminded of the immortal words of Allama Iqbal:

Hazaroon Saal Nargis Apni Be Nori Pey Rooti Hai

Barry Mushkal Sey Hota Hai Chaman Mein Deedawar Paida

On October 17, 1998, Pakistan lost one of its most remarkable institution-builders when Hakim Mohammed Said was assassinated by armed assailants in Karachi while on his way to Hamdard Laboratories.

His death shocked the nation. A man who had devoted his life to medicine, education, scholarship, children, philanthropy and public service was silenced by violence. Yet the assassins could take his life, not his vision.

Nearly three decades later, the institutions he created continue to educate students, treat patients, support deserving families, preserve knowledge and promote the values of service, learning and patriotism.

That is perhaps the most powerful measure of Hakim Mohammed Said’s legacy.

His story is not simply the story of a successful physician or businessman. It is the story of a man who transformed commercial success into public welfare and converted personal achievement into institutions designed to serve generations.

Today, that mission continues under the leadership of his daughter Sadia Rashid, President of Hamdard Foundation Pakistan and Chancellor of Hamdard University, who has preserved and carried forward the philosophy her father spent a lifetime building.

From Hamdard Dawakhana to a National Institution

Hakim Mohammed Said arrived in Pakistan after Partition and established Hamdard Dawakhana in Karachi in 1948.

What began modestly soon developed into one of the country’s best-known institutions in traditional medicine. But commercial expansion was never the ultimate objective.

Hakim Said believed that wealth carried a social responsibility.

In 1953, he converted Hamdard into a Waqf, dedicating its resources and earnings to education, healthcare, research, philanthropy and other causes of public welfare.

This was a crucial decision.

Rather than building personal wealth or creating a family business empire in the conventional sense, he created a structure through which commercial success would continue to finance social development.

His concept was simple yet profound: business should not exist only to generate profit; it should also contribute to society.

This philosophy eventually gave birth to Hamdard Foundation Pakistan and an expanding network of educational, medical, cultural and welfare institutions.

More Than a Hakim

Hakim Mohammed Said was widely known as a practitioner of Eastern medicine, but his personality extended far beyond medicine.

He was an educationist, scholar, author, publisher, social reformer, intellectual and philanthropist.

He wrote extensively, promoted research and encouraged debate on national issues. He believed that Pakistan could progress only if it invested in knowledge, character, discipline and institutions.

He also had a special relationship with children.

Through Hamdard Naunehal, launched in 1953, and the Naunehal Assembly, he attempted to cultivate confidence, knowledge, patriotism and moral awareness among younger generations.

For him, children were not simply future citizens. They were the future of Pakistan itself.

He also established Hamdard Shura, bringing together intellectuals, scholars and opinion-makers to discuss matters of national importance.

Even when he served as Governor of Sindh in 1993, his public image remained associated with simplicity, discipline and public service.

Madinat al-Hikmah: The Dream of a City of Knowledge

Perhaps the boldest expression of Hakim Said’s vision was Madinat al-Hikmah, literally the City of Wisdom.

Located on the outskirts of Karachi, Madinat al-Hikmah was conceived not merely as a university campus but as a comprehensive centre of education, research, culture and intellectual development.

Hakim Said wanted to recreate, in a modern Pakistani context, the spirit of the great centres of learning that once flourished in the Muslim world.

At the heart of this dream stood Bait al-Hikmah, the House of Wisdom.

The library became one of Pakistan’s important centres of learning and scholarship, housing a vast collection of books, manuscripts and research material.

For Hakim Said, a library was not simply a building containing books. It represented the intellectual memory of civilisation.

Madinat al-Hikmah therefore became a physical symbol of his conviction that nations are built not only through roads, factories and markets, but also through universities, libraries, laboratories and classrooms.

Hamdard University: Education as Nation-Building

The establishment of Hamdard University in 1991 gave institutional form to Hakim Said’s lifelong commitment to higher education.

The university grew to include faculties and programmes in medicine, pharmacy, engineering, technology, management sciences, law, social sciences and Eastern medicine.

Hakim Said’s educational philosophy was distinctive.

He respected traditional knowledge, but he did not believe Pakistan should remain confined to the past. He wanted students to combine heritage with modern science, professional education and research.

This approach made Hamdard University an important bridge between tradition and modernity.

Today, the university remains one of the most visible components of his legacy.

Healthcare as a Public Service

Hamdard’s roots were in medicine, and healthcare remained central to Hakim Said’s mission throughout his life.

His concern, however, was not limited to commercial healthcare.

He wanted medical care to reach people who could not afford it.

One of the most significant examples was the Hamdard Free Mobile Dispensary programme, through which medical teams travelled to underserved communities to provide consultations and medicines.

The programme reflected Hakim Said’s belief that healthcare was not simply a service to be sold but a human need that society had a responsibility to address.

Over time, Hamdard’s health network expanded to include hospitals, clinics, educational institutions and facilities linked with Hamdard University.

Education Beyond the University

Hakim Said understood that higher education alone could not transform society.

That is why the Hamdard network also developed schools and educational programmes for children.

Institutions such as Hamdard Public School and Hamdard Village School became part of his broader educational mission.

The philosophy behind these schools was not limited to examination results.

Hakim Said believed education should produce disciplined, responsible and socially conscious citizens.

His emphasis on children, books, reading and character formation remains one of the most distinctive elements of the Hamdard tradition.

Philanthropy Through Institutions

Another important feature of Hakim Said’s model was the way philanthropy was institutionalised.

Instead of depending only on occasional charitable donations, he created organisations capable of providing long-term assistance.

Through Hamdard Foundation, support has continued in the fields of education, healthcare, scholarships and assistance to deserving families.

The Hakim Mohammed Said Memorial Scholarship is one example of how his name continues to support young people long after his death.

This is an important distinction.

Temporary charity addresses immediate need. Institutions can transform lives over generations.

Hakim Said understood that difference.

October 17, 1998: The Day Pakistan Lost a Visionary

The morning of October 17, 1998, remains one of the darkest chapters in the history of Hamdard.

Hakim Mohammed Said was on his way to Hamdard Laboratories in Karachi when armed assailants attacked him.

His assassination sent shockwaves throughout Pakistan.

The killing was especially painful because of the nature of the man who had been targeted.

He was not known for commanding political power or accumulating personal wealth. His identity had become associated with hospitals, schools, books, libraries, children and philanthropy.

Pakistan had lost not merely an individual but one of its rare institution-builders.

Yet the subsequent history of Hamdard demonstrated that institutions rooted in a strong idea can survive even the violent death of their founder.

Sadia Rashid: Carrying the Mission Forward

Following the assassination of Hakim Mohammed Said, the responsibility of protecting and continuing his enormous institutional legacy became a major challenge.

His daughter Sadia Rashid emerged as the custodian of that vision.

As President of Hamdard Foundation Pakistan and Chancellor of Hamdard University, she has helped preserve the institutions established by her father while guiding them through changing social, educational and technological conditions.

Her achievement lies not merely in maintaining Hamdard’s name.

The greater challenge has been to ensure continuity.

Universities must evolve. Hospitals must remain functional. Scholarship programmes must reach new generations. Libraries must embrace new technologies. Welfare programmes must respond to changing social needs.

Under Sadia Rashid’s leadership, Hamdard has continued its activities in education, health, philanthropy, intellectual dialogue, publishing and child development.

In this sense, she has helped turn personal legacy into institutional continuity.

Madinat al-Hikmah: His Living Monument

Many national personalities are remembered through statues, roads, buildings and commemorative ceremonies.

Hakim Mohammed Said left something more enduring.

His true monument is Madinat al-Hikmah.

Its classrooms, libraries, laboratories and educational institutions represent the physical continuation of his philosophy.

Every student educated there, every researcher who uses its resources and every patient treated through Hamdard institutions contributes to the continuation of his mission.

This is why his legacy cannot be confined to remembrance ceremonies held every October 17.

It remains active throughout the year.

“Love Pakistan – Build Pakistan”

Perhaps no phrase captures Hakim Mohammed Said’s philosophy better than Hamdard’s enduring message:

“Love Pakistan – Build Pakistan.”

The words are deceptively simple.

For Hakim Said, patriotism did not end with slogans.

To love Pakistan meant building schools.

It meant educating children.

It meant treating the sick.

It meant supporting the poor.

It meant preserving books and knowledge.

It meant strengthening institutions.

And it meant preparing future generations to take responsibility for the country.

That was his understanding of nation-building.

A Legacy Stronger Than Violence

On October 17 every year, Pakistan should remember Hakim Mohammed Said not only because he was assassinated, but because of what he accomplished before that tragic day.

An assassin’s bullet ended his life, but it could not destroy the institutions he created.

The Hamdard Foundation survived.

Hamdard University continued to grow.

Madinat al-Hikmah remained a centre of learning.

Bait al-Hikmah continued to preserve knowledge.

Hamdard’s schools continued educating children.

Its medical and welfare programmes continued serving people.

And under Sadia Rashid, his mission continued into another generation.

This is perhaps the greatest victory of Hakim Mohammed Said over those who sought to silence him.

He died on October 17, 1998, but his ideas did not.

More than a quarter-century after his assassination, the institutions bearing his vision remain active reminders that while individuals may be taken away, ideas built into strong institutions can survive.

Hakim Mohammed Said’s life therefore offers Pakistan a lesson that remains urgently relevant today: nations are not built by words alone. They are built by knowledge, service, integrity and institutions that outlive those who create them.

There are moments in the career of a soldier when professional responsibility intersects with political power. For an intelligence chief, that intersection can be particularly sensitive. Information reaching the highest levels of government may concern national security, foreign threats, political instability, corruption allegations or individuals close to the centres of power.

For Lieutenant General Syed Asim Munir, one of those moments came during the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Years before he would become Chief of Army Staff and subsequently Field Marshal, Munir occupied two of the most sensitive intelligence positions in Pakistan. His experience was unusual: he headed both Military Intelligence and the Inter-Services Intelligence.

The second appointment, however, would be remarkably brief.

And the circumstances surrounding its end would remain the subject of political controversy years later.

At the helm of Military Intelligence

By the time Major General Asim Munir was appointed Director General Military Intelligence in 2017, his career had already given him extensive command, staff and operational experience.

Military Intelligence operates within the Army and performs responsibilities crucial to military security, counter-intelligence and assessment of threats affecting the armed forces.

For an officer accustomed to operational command, intelligence leadership required a different approach.

A conventional commander often deals with a visible adversary. Intelligence officers must frequently identify threats before they become visible.

Information must be collected, assessed and separated from misinformation. Individual pieces of intelligence may appear insignificant until connected with other information. A wrong assessment can have consequences far beyond the intelligence organisation itself.

Munir’s appointment therefore placed him close to the centre of Pakistan’s national security structure.

His performance and career progression soon led to an even more important assignment.

In September 2018, Major General Asim Munir was among six officers promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.

Within weeks, another announcement followed.

On October 10, 2018, he was appointed Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence.

The officer who had headed Military Intelligence was now responsible for Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency.

Taking charge of the ISI

The importance of the ISI extends far beyond Pakistan’s borders.

Its responsibilities involve external intelligence, counter-intelligence, counterterrorism and national security. Its assessments can influence Pakistan’s understanding of developments involving Afghanistan, India, Iran, China, the United States and the wider region.

The DG ISI therefore occupies one of Pakistan’s most sensitive national-security appointments.

Munir assumed the position only weeks after Imran Khan’s PTI government had taken office.

Pakistan at the time faced a complicated security environment. Relations with India remained tense. Afghanistan was approaching another decisive period. Militancy continued to demand attention, while Pakistan’s relationships with Washington, Beijing, Riyadh and Tehran required careful management.

An intelligence chief operating in such an environment must provide assessments to the state leadership regardless of whether those assessments are politically convenient.

It is at this point that the documented chronology and the later political accounts must be carefully separated.

Eight months that became a political controversy

Munir’s tenure as DG ISI lasted only around eight months.

In June 2019, the military announced a significant reshuffle. Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed was appointed the new Director General ISI, while Lieutenant General Asim Munir was posted as Commander Gujranwala Corps.

The transfer was notable because Munir had served an unusually short period as head of the intelligence agency.

At the time, however, the official announcement did not state that his transfer resulted from a disagreement with Prime Minister Imran Khan or from any investigation involving the prime minister’s family.

That distinction is essential.

What subsequently emerged was a series of claims made years later about events that allegedly preceded the transfer.

According to one account that became prominent after Imran Khan’s government had left office, Munir, while serving as DG ISI, had brought information to the then prime minister concerning alleged corruption involving individuals close to his family, including allegations associated with his wife, Bushra Bibi.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later publicly claimed that Munir had informed Imran Khan about alleged corruption involving his wife on the basis of information available to him and that the episode led to Munir’s transfer.

Other political figures subsequently made similar claims.

If established conclusively, such an episode would present Munir’s removal as the consequence of performing an uncomfortable professional duty.

But journalism demands that the other side of this contested history be recorded equally clearly.

Imran Khan’s categorical denial

Imran Khan has explicitly rejected this version of events.

In May 2023, responding to reports that he had removed Munir because the intelligence chief had sought to raise corruption concerns involving Bushra Bibi, the former prime minister described the account as “completely false.”

Khan denied that Munir had shown him evidence of corruption involving his wife and denied that he had removed him for that reason.

This denial is important because the precise motivation behind the 2019 transfer has never been established publicly through an official contemporaneous document explaining such a dispute.

There are therefore two levels to the historical record.

The first consists of established facts:

Asim Munir became DG ISI in October 2018.

He served for approximately eight months.

In June 2019, Faiz Hameed replaced him.

Munir was subsequently appointed Commander Gujranwala Corps.

The second consists of competing explanations that emerged later.

One side maintains that Munir’s professional reporting concerning alleged wrongdoing around the prime minister’s family contributed to his removal.

Imran Khan rejects that account.

A responsible examination of Munir’s career must preserve this distinction.

The officer leaves the ISI – but his career continues

Whatever the precise reasons behind the change, the episode did not end Munir’s military career.

This is perhaps one of the most important aspects of the story.

He left the ISI but was entrusted with the command of XXX Corps at Gujranwala, an important operational formation of the Pakistan Army.

Corps command represents one of the highest levels of operational responsibility available to a lieutenant general.

The appointment therefore demonstrated that his removal from the ISI was not the end of his advancement within the Army.

Munir continued his professional career rather than entering into public controversy over the circumstances of his transfer.

There were no political rallies.

There was no public campaign.

There was no attempt by the serving officer to turn his departure from the intelligence agency into a confrontation with the elected government.

He returned to military command.

That silence would later become significant.

Because only a few years afterwards, Pakistan would witness another confrontation over the leadership of the ISI.

The Faiz Hameed factor

Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, who replaced Munir in June 2019, would himself become one of the most consequential intelligence chiefs of the PTI era.

His tenure eventually extended into the politically sensitive period surrounding Afghanistan’s transformation following the withdrawal of US-led forces.

But by 2021, another controversy emerged.

The Army announced in October that Faiz Hameed would leave the ISI to command Peshawar Corps and that Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum would replace him as DG ISI.

The notification from the Prime Minister’s Office, however, was delayed for weeks, generating intense public speculation about differences between the PTI government and the military leadership over the appointment.

This episode gave the earlier 2019 change additional political significance.

By then, questions about intelligence appointments, institutional authority and political preferences were no longer confined to closed rooms. They had become part of Pakistan’s public political debate.

For Asim Munir, however, the next chapter was already developing elsewhere.

From Gujranwala Corps to GHQ

After commanding Gujranwala Corps, Munir continued rising through the Army’s senior command structure.

In October 2021, he was appointed Quartermaster General at General Headquarters.

The position placed him at GHQ and gave him responsibility in an important branch concerned with the Army’s logistical and administrative requirements.

By this stage, his professional résumé had become unusually broad.

He had commanded troops.

He had served in the Northern Areas.

He had headed Military Intelligence.

He had headed the ISI.

He had commanded a corps.

And he was now serving at GHQ.

The officer whose ISI tenure had ended abruptly in 2019 had not disappeared from Pakistan’s military hierarchy.

Instead, he was moving closer to its summit.

When an old controversy returned

By 2022, Pakistan’s political landscape had changed dramatically.

Imran Khan was no longer prime minister following the parliamentary vote of no-confidence in April.

The country was deeply polarised.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa was approaching retirement as Chief of Army Staff.

And Pakistan faced one of its most consequential military appointments in years.

Among the senior lieutenant generals eligible for consideration was Syed Asim Munir.

Suddenly, the officer whose tenure at the ISI had ended during Imran Khan’s government was being discussed as a possible successor to General Bajwa.

The past had returned.

But this time the stakes were considerably higher.

The appointment would not be for the leadership of an intelligence organisation.

It would be for command of the Pakistan Army itself.

Political statements, public rallies, competing narratives and extraordinary speculation began surrounding the succession process. Munir’s seniority became a subject of national discussion, as did the timing of his retirement and the constitutional process for selecting the next Army Chief.

The contest surrounding Pakistan’s next military commander was rapidly becoming intertwined with the country’s political confrontation.

A soldier who had largely remained outside public political debate was suddenly at the centre of it.

In 2019, Asim Munir had left the ISI after only eight months.

Three years later, his name would return to the centre of national attention-not as an intelligence chief, but as one of the leading candidates to become Chief of Army Staff.

Those who believed his military journey had been weakened by the events of 2019 were about to witness something very different.

His greatest professional appointment was still ahead.

And before he could reach it, Pakistan would pass through weeks of political manoeuvring, uncertainty and intense controversy over who should command its Army.

That would become another defining chapter in the extraordinary journey of Syed Asim Munir.

For the common man, obtaining justice can be an exhausting and expensive exercise. Many citizens have traditionally resorted to writing letters to higher authorities, including the country’s rulers, to draw attention to corruption, administrative inefficiency and the deliberate creation of difficulties by officials responsible for providing public services.

It was against this background that the institution of the Wafaqi Mohtasib, or Federal Ombudsman, was established during the tenure of General Zia-ul-Haq through Presidential Order No. 1 of 1983, dated January 24, 1983, the office was created to redress public grievances arising from maladministration, and it commenced functioning on August 8, 1983. As the number of complaints increased, provincial ombudsman institutions were also established to provide citizens with additional avenues of redress.

These institutions undoubtedly provided relief to many aggrieved citizens. However, a fundamental question remained: should the system merely resolve individual complaints, or should it also hold responsible officials accountable for creating the problems in the first place? Over time, specialized institutions were established to address grievances in different sectors, including insurance, taxation, banking and workplace harassment. Their creation reflected an important recognition that complaints relating to specialized areas require dedicated mechanisms for investigation and redress. Nevertheless, the existence of a complaint-handling institution alone cannot guarantee good governance. The real measure of its success must also include the prevention of recurring injustices, timely disposal of complaints and appropriate action against those whose negligence, misconduct or arbitrary decisions cause unnecessary hardship to the public. The recent performance of the Banking Mohtasib Pakistan deserves particular appreciation. According to reports published on October 13, 2026, the Banking Mohtasib received 33,625 complaints between January and September 2026 and disposed of 29,001 complaints, providing relief to complainants amounting to approximately Rs1.2 billion. These figures demonstrate the important role played by the institution in protecting banking customers and providing a forum for addressing their grievances.Behind these statistics are individuals and families whose savings, financial transactions and legitimate banking claims may have been affected by errors, disputed transactions, fraudulent activities or unsatisfactory service. For an ordinary account holder, recovering money or obtaining a fair decision from a powerful financial institution can be a difficult undertaking. An effective ombudsman provides a valuable avenue for seeking redress without having to immediately resort to expensive and time-consuming litigation. The Banking Mohtasib and its staff deserve recognition for handling this substantial volume of complaints and securing financial relief for complainants. However, while appreciating this achievement, it is equally important to examine why so many customers had to approach the Mohtasib in the first place. A banking customer opens an account, deposits hard-earned money and expects the bank to safeguard those funds, provide accurate information and resolve legitimate complaints fairly and promptly. Banks are entrusted with public confidence, and their responsibilities extend beyond earning profits and expanding their businesses. When a customer is wrongly charged, denied a legitimate claim, subjected to an unexplained transaction or repeatedly ignored despite approaching the bank’s complaint-handling department, the customer suffers both financial and mental distress. If the matter remains unresolved and the customer eventually approaches the Banking Mohtasib, the institution may provide relief. But the customer has already paid a price in terms of time, effort, uncertainty and convenience.

The question is whether the bank’s own internal system failed to address the grievance when it was first brought to its attention. Every complaint decided in favour of a customer should therefore serve as an opportunity to examine the circumstances that led to the dispute. Was the problem caused by a genuine technical error, a procedural weakness, negligence, inadequate training, failure of supervision, or an arbitrary decision by a responsible official? Not every complaint necessarily establishes misconduct, and officials must be given a fair opportunity to explain their actions. However, where an impartial inquiry establishes negligence, deliberate wrongdoing, abuse of authority or a violation of banking rules, appropriate disciplinary action should follow in accordance with the law and applicable service rules. Merely directing a bank to compensate a customer, reverse an incorrect charge or restore the customer’s money may settle the immediate dispute. It does not necessarily prevent the same problem from affecting other customers.

The Banking Mohtasib should, wherever legally permissible, require the concerned bank to investigate the conduct of officials responsible for substantiated complaints and report the action taken. Where wrongdoing is established, penalties should be proportionate to the offence and may include warnings, recovery of improper benefits where legally justified, adverse service action, suspension or dismissal in serious cases, subject to due process. Cases involving suspected criminal conduct should be referred to the competent authorities where appropriate. Senior management should not be exempt from scrutiny merely because a disputed decision originated at a higher level. Equally, junior employees should not be made scapegoats for systemic failures or decisions taken under instructions from senior officers. Banks should also examine recurring patterns of complaints. If the same branch, department, product or operational procedure repeatedly generates grievances, the problem may extend beyond an individual employee and require corrective action at the management level.The objective should not be to punish officials simply because a complaint has been filed. It should be to establish responsibility fairly, correct institutional weaknesses and deter future misconduct. An effective system of accountability would also encourage bank employees to resolve genuine grievances at the earliest possible stage rather than allowing customers to be pushed from one desk to another. Another major challenge facing banking customers is the growing threat of fraud through telephone calls, deceptive messages, fraudulent links and other methods of obtaining confidential financial information. The Banking Mohtasib has rightly advised customers to protect their financial credentials, avoid disclosing account details to third parties and refrain from clicking links unless their authenticity has been verified. Customers receiving suspicious calls should contact their bank through its verified helpline and report suspected fraud to the relevant authorities.These warnings are timely and necessary. However, public advisories issued through press statements or occasional media coverage cannot be considered sufficient when millions of people use banking services, many of whom may have limited knowledge of digital security. A warning reaches only those who happen to read, hear or see it. Many vulnerable customers, including elderly people and those unfamiliar with digital banking, may never encounter such information. Banks and regulatory institutions must therefore adopt a systematic public-awareness strategy rather than relying solely on general announcements. The Banking Mohtasib, in coordination with the State Bank of Pakistan and commercial banks, should launch a comprehensive public-awareness campaign covering both customer rights and the prevention of banking fraud. First, a detailed press release should be issued in English and Urdu, with concise versions in regional languages where appropriate. Newspapers, television channels, radio stations and digital platforms should be used to disseminate the information widely. Second, and more importantly, copies of the advisory should be sent directly to all account holders through their respective banks. This could be accomplished through registered email addresses, SMS notifications, secure mobile-banking applications, internet-banking portals and printed notices accompanying bank statements or other customer correspondence. Banks should also display the information prominently at branches, ATMs and customer-service counters. Staff should be instructed to explain the precautions to customers who require assistance. The information should be written in simple, practical language rather than complicated technical terminology.

While educating customers is essential, responsibility for preventing and responding to banking fraud cannot be placed entirely on account holders. Banks must maintain effective security systems, monitor suspicious transactions, provide accessible and responsive complaint channels, and take prompt action when unauthorized activity is reported. They should regularly assess weaknesses in their systems and ensure that staff are adequately trained to recognize fraud and protect customers. Where a transaction is disputed, the bank should conduct a proper investigation, preserve relevant records and communicate its findings clearly. Customers should not be dismissed with standard replies when they raise genuine concerns. A customer who has fallen victim to fraud should receive clear guidance on immediate protective steps, the reporting process and the investigation of the disputed transaction. The outcome should be based on the facts, the applicable law and the relevant banking rules. Banks should also publish accessible information explaining their responsibilities and the steps customers can take to protect themselves. Public confidence cannot be sustained by warnings alone; it requires reliable safeguards, fair treatment and effective remedies.

The Banking Mohtasib should continue publishing regular reports that go beyond the total number of complaints received and disposed of. Such reports should, where appropriate, identify the principal categories of grievances, the number of complaints decided in favour of customers, the financial relief awarded, recurring causes of disputes and the measures taken to prevent similar cases. It would also be useful to disclose how many cases resulted in recommendations for disciplinary proceedings, how many such proceedings were completed, and what corrective measures banks adopted in response to recurring problems. Personal information and confidential banking details must, of course, remain protected. Such reporting would help the public understand whether institutions are merely settling disputes or also addressing the underlying causes. The performance of individual banks should be examined through reliable and comparable indicators, including complaint volumes in relation to their customer base, the time taken to resolve grievances, compliance with decisions and the frequency of recurring problems. These measures would encourage banks to improve their services and demonstrate that customer protection is a continuing responsibility rather than a formality.

The establishment of ombudsman institutions was an important step towards providing citizens with an alternative means of seeking justice against maladministration and unfair treatment. The Banking Mohtasib has continued that tradition by providing a specialized forum for resolving disputes between banks and their customers.The reported disposal of 29,001 complaints and the provision of approximately Rs1.2 billion in relief during the first nine months of 2026 are commendable achievements. The institution deserves appreciation for this service.Well done, Wafaqi Banking Mohtasib-but the task must not end with resolving complaints. The next step is to prevent avoidable grievances, ensure accountability, strengthen banking security and make every account holder aware of their rights and responsibilities. An effective institution is not measured only by the number of disputes it settles, but also by its success in ensuring that fewer people suffer the same injustice in the future.