BAKU, Feb 25 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday visited the “Asan Khidmat” (ASAN XIDMAT) center in Baku providing one-stop access to over 400 services to the residents, and vowed to replicate the model in Islamabad.
The prime minister, shortly before departing for Uzbekistan after concluding his two-day visit to Azerbaijan, took a round of the facility equipped with modern technology and “excellent” human resources which he said reflected the foresight and dynamism of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.
He also lauded the most modern gadgets, and all public utilities and social services available at the facility.
“I also visited a startup center INNOLAND, where youngsters and volunteers are actively engaged. It is one of the most modern centers I have visited around the globe. Full marks go to my brother Ilham Aliyev for his thought-provoking, and visionary leadership,” he remarked.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that though such centers already existed in Pakistan, including Punjab and other cities, the Baku’s Asan Khidmat center stood out in terms of scale and modern technology providing all essential entities and service delivery system under one roof to cater to the common man’s needs.
“We would love to benefit from Azerbaijan’s experience. I would be happy to have a replica of this in Islamabad,” he said.
During the visit, Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovation (SAPSSI) Ulvi Mehdiyev, who works under President Ilham Aliyev’s supervision, welcomed the prime minister.
During the briefing, he said that Asan Khidmat had become a renowned institution due to its excellent performance in providing efficient public services.
He said that the one-stop model facilitates the delivery of public services and provides citizens access to over 400 services from 30 government and 15 private institutions, all under one roof.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that Pakistan would like to initiate a pilot project in Islamabad based on the Asan Khidamt model and that his country would sign an agreement with Azerbaijan to benefit from their experience.
He also invited a team from the center to visit Pakistan to explore mutual cooperation opportunities.
Ulvi Mehdiyev briefed the prime minister that the center was launched as part of comprehensive institutional governance reforms which ensures transparent, accountable, and efficient delivery of public services, with citizens’ feedback playing a crucial role in driving improvements.
Prime Minister Shehbaz was also briefed about the Mobile Asan Khidmat service, which includes specially designed buses and a train operating as per scheduled and delivering essential public services directly to local communities.
The prime minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Investment and Privatization Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi.