Fête du Trône, an occasion to which I was ignorant till three weeks ago, now have a special place in my heart as the hospitality showered by the inhabitants of this wonderful kingdom have made me a Moroccan at heart.
The twist of fate that landed me in Morocco began when I had the honor of being a part of the OIC Ombudsman Association Exchange Program between Federal Tax Ombudsman Pakistan (FTO) and L’Institution du Médiateur du Royaume (IMR). For starting this unique initiative all credit goes to the Secretary General OICOA, Hon’ble FTO Dr. Asif Jah and Executive Secretary OICOA, Advisor (Legal) FTO Mr Almas Jovindah who are always very keen on empowering the youth not only of Pakistan but also of the OICOA Member countries.
Here I also wants to elaborate the role of Mediator of Kingdom of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Benalillou who not only applauded the initiative as OICOA Board Member but also played a vital role in launching it. This program which was endorsed by the OICOA Board Members in the 10th Board meeting was formalized when an MoU was signed between IMR and FTO on the occasion of 11th Board Meeting held in Marrakesh. In this way I got the opportunity to witness the working of institutional mediation for the first time along with creating a bond with Morocco.
During my stay of three weeks in Morocco, major part of my time was spent at Rabat with brief visits to popular cities like Casablanca. I consider it as that part of my life which helped me groom my professional acumen as I identified the crucial role which mediation was playing in providing justice to the citizens victim of public administration. The thing which amazed me most is the way in which IMR provides a specialized platform to people with special needs. The presence of their legal statute in braille along with availability of sign language specialist is a practice which shows the thoughtfulness of the institute to accommodate and facilitate different groups.
I also had the chance to observe the wonderful archives of case files from the inception of the institute, in which IMR takes pride in. The role of IMR in contributing to human rights at national and international level is also something worth mentioning from my experience. A moment of pride was me when I shared the good practices of FTO at IMR. It was a moment of dual pride and happiness for me. First, that I get to share the exceptional practices of FTO at an international forum and second that I get to contribute to the betterment of IMR, an institute which I hold in great regard.
The festivities to rejoice the formal accession of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI to the throne is not only a formal event for me but a celebration of the amazing influence the honorable monarch instilled in his subjects.
I felt this influence during my first-hand interaction with the locals. Be it the food, or generosity; be it the treatment with strays or hospitality, I found royalty dripping from every Moroccan. With this exposure to the locals I found that the devotion and love Moroccans have for their King is not superficial but deeply rooted in their souls, emerging as a part of their personalities. It was this very interaction which made me feel as if I am not on a foreign land but in my own home. The flamboyant red flags proudly waving on the Moroccan buildings, the picture of His Majesty the King adorning every wall was not something superficial as I found every Moroccan representing the King. I did not personally met His Majesty the King but I met his subjects and they didn’t failed to give me the taste of what it is like to be a guest in a Kingdom. In short, I found Morocco to be a wonderful place which strengthened my grip on legal knowledge but also provided me wholeheartedly a cultural exposure which have became a part of my personality. On the Moroccan Throne Day this year, I celebrates too as the wealth of knowledge and love Morocco showered upon me cannot be reciprocated without being a Moroccan at heart.
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The writer Tayyaba Munir is a law graduate and Youth Ambassador of the FTO Pakistan
