ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to expand Azerbaijan-backed citizen service centers across the country as the two nations deepen cooperation in digital governance, defense and technology, Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said at an event marking Azerbaijan’s Victory Day in Islamabad.

The initiative builds on an existing partnership to modernize public service delivery through one-stop facilities that allow citizens to access multiple government services under one roof, reducing bureaucratic procedures and improving efficiency.

Pakistan opened its first Asan Khidmat center in Islamabad’s G-9 sector earlier this year, adopting Azerbaijan’s ASAN Service model, which integrates government services through centralized facilities and digital systems.

“We’re looking forward to expand the Asan Khidmat Centers and facilities in Azad Kashmir, in Gilgit-Baltistan, in KPK [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa] and all parts of Pakistan so that citizen service delivery becomes as good as it is in Azerbaijan itself,” Khawaja said while addressing the event.

Azerbaijan celebrates Victory Day on November 8 to commemorate its victory over Armenia in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. Baku subsequently took full control of the disputed region in a military offensive in 2023.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities in October to accelerate work on new centers in Muzaffarabad, Gilgit, Skardu, Peshawar and Bannu, as part of plans to extend the initiative beyond Islamabad.

Khawaja said the partnership reflected growing ties between Pakistan and Azerbaijan, spanning trade, investment, energy, connectivity, defense and digital transformation.

She referred to a bilateral agreement on information and communication technologies signed in July 2024 and expressed confidence that the two countries could deepen cooperation in defense and emerging technological fields.

Pakistan and Azerbaijan maintain close diplomatic relations, with both countries supporting each other’s positions on territorial disputes and pursuing greater economic and security cooperation.

Khawaja said the Islamabad center reflected a commitment made during discussions between Sharif and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, describing it as a symbol of their growing partnership.