PM orders expansion of Asaan Khidmat Centres

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the expansion of Pakistan Asaan Khidmat Centres, aiming to provide citizens with quicker and more transparent access to government services. During a meeting on the centres' performance and expansion, the prime minister emphasized the establishment of new facilities in Muzaffarabad, Gilgit, Skardu, Peshawar, and Bannu. He ordered an immediate start on Peshawar and Bannu facilities, suggesting a plan to set up these centres in existing federal government buildings.

The prime minister also directed the expansion of the Islamabad centre and an increase in staff at various counters based on citizens' needs. He called for further reductions in service delivery times, requesting a third-party audit report on the Islamabad facility's performance. The prime minister stressed that citizens should not have to visit government offices repeatedly for public services, stating that Asaan Khidmat Centres, which provide multiple services under one roof, are a top government priority.

Federal ministers Musadik Malik, Ahad Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima, and Tariq Chaudhry, along with senior officials, attended the meeting to discuss the performance and services at the Islamabad Asaan Khidmat Centre. Over 171,000 applications were processed there from January to September, with 99.5% of citizens expressing satisfaction.

The average time to deliver services ranged from three to 10 minutes. The meeting also reviewed progress in establishing Asaan Khidmat Centres in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with private sector collaboration a possibility.