Published on: September 11, 2025 6:28 AM
Pakistan and Azerbaijan have agreed to set up an Asan Khidmat Markaz in Islamabad to improve citizen services. The initiative, modeled on Azerbaijan’s one-window public service system, will provide streamlined access to multiple government services. The agreement was signed following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to Baku, where he toured Azerbaijan’s centralised Asan service centre.
Prime Minister Sharif described the project as a revolutionary step in public service delivery. He emphasized that Pakistan would replicate the model with Azerbaijani technical assistance. During his meeting with Ulvi Mehdiyev, chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations (SAPSSI), he highlighted the importance of transparency and efficiency in governance reforms.
The new centre will bring several essential services under one roof, including national identity processing and business facilitation. Officials say the initiative will help cut red tape, improve transparency, and support Pakistan’s transition towards a cashless economy. The prime minister further directed that a planned Business Facilitation Centre also be integrated into the structure.
Sharif stressed that all appointments at the centre would be based on merit and transparent procedures. He noted that the centre could later be replicated in other major cities across Pakistan. He also thanked the Azerbaijani government for its technical guidance and continued cooperation in digital reform.
The formal agreement was signed between SAPSSI and Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication. Senior cabinet members, including Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and IT Minister Shaza Fatima, attended the ceremony. Both sides hailed the project as a milestone in strengthening bilateral ties through governance and public-sector innovation.
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