What happened
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday inaugurated the Pakistan Assan Khidmat Markaz in Islamabad, a one-window facility aimed at providing integrated public services to residents of the federal capital, The Nation reported.
At the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister thanked President Ilham Aliyev for Azerbaijan’s cooperation in setting up the facility. He said a visit to Baku had inspired him with the efficient public service model of the Azerbaijani government, which helped shape the concept of the Markaz. Key institutions, including NADRA, the Foreign Office, the police and other departments, will operate under a single roof to make it easier for citizens to obtain services.
Shehbaz Sharif was briefed on the operational framework and the services being offered, and he said similar centres would be established in Muzaffarabad and Gilgit-Baltistan to extend their reach.
Why it matters
The launch is part of the government’s push to consolidate routine government services and reduce the need for citizens to visit multiple offices. The prime minister used the occasion to reiterate his commitment to turning Pakistan into a regional hub for information technology, saying young people were being encouraged to pursue IT education and skills development alongside entrepreneurship. He said providing internationally competitive IT training to young Pakistanis remained a top priority and that laptops were being distributed among high-achieving students.
What is still uncertain
The reporting did not specify the total cost of the Islamabad centre, the number of departments fully operational on its first day, a timeline for the Muzaffarabad and Gilgit-Baltistan centres, or how service performance will be measured.
Sources & reporting notes
This article summarises reporting published by The Nation on 15 January 2026. It is not eyewitness reporting. Figures and statements are as reported by the source.
- The Nation — PM Shehbaz launches Pakistan Assan Khidmat Markaz in Islamabad, emphasises IT-driven future15 January 2026 · Report from Islamabad on the launch of the service centre, the Azerbaijani cooperation and the prime minister's IT remarks.
