By Mehrab Shah Afridi
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated the Asaan Khidmat Center in Islamabad, a one-stop public service facility aimed at simplifying access to government services for citizens.
Under the new initiative, more than 60 public services will be available at a single location, including facilities from Nadra, the police, the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the deputy commissioner’s office, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister said the Asaan Khidmat Centre would bring “immense convenience” to the public by reducing delays and bureaucratic hurdles. He said master trainers for the project had received specialized training in Azerbaijan, and thanked the Azerbaijani government for what he described as its exceptional cooperation.
Sharif said similar centers would also be established in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, as part of a broader plan to expand the model nationwide. He added that the federal government intended to set up more Asaan Khidmat Centers to ensure that public services were delivered efficiently under one roof.
The prime minister said the government was working to fundamentally transform Pakistan’s public service delivery ecosystem. Clear performance targets would be set for service centers, he said, with quarterly third-party performance audits conducted to ensure accountability and standards.
Highlighting the needs of overseas Pakistanis, Sharif directed that Asaan Khidmat Center counters should also be established in Pakistani embassies abroad to facilitate access to essential services. An Azerbaijani delegation present at the ceremony praised the Pakistani government’s reform efforts and its push to modernize administrative systems.
The prime minister later toured the center and reviewed the facilities available to the public. The initiative marks another step in the government’s attempt to streamline state services and project a more citizen-focused approach to governance.
