Pakistan Post Paid Rs 8.8 Million to Advertising Firm after Ombudsman Intervention

Murtaza Ali Kalas, CEO of Graymatter Communication Advertising Agency, filed a complaint against Pakistan Post for the unjust delay in payment of outstanding dues. He stated that several advertisements of the Ministry of Postal Services were published through Press Information Department, but after the lapse of more than three years, the Agency has failed to make payments, hence approached the office of Federal Ombudsman for the resolution of his grievances. The Agency stated that some discrepancies had been found in the invoices of the complainant by non-observance of 25 percent prescribed quota for publication for regional newspapers, otherwise, the claim is more than the prescribed quota. The Pakistan Post referred the matter to the Ministry. During the hearing proceedings, the representative of the Ministry of Communications was asked to resolve the issue with a week. Later, in the second hearing proceedings, the representative of the Ministry of Communication informed that the Secretary as Principal Accounting Officer(PAO) approved the payment, which would be paid to the Agency. Later, the complainant informed that he had received a cheque of Rs. 8,792,657 and thanked the Federal Ombudsman for the resolution of his grievances.