ISLAMABAD: Bridging the digital gap between citizens and the government, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday launched the Pakistan Citizen Portal (PCP), his latest initiative aimed at making the country more technologically-advanced and corruption free.
Addressing the gathering at the launch — hosted at the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad — Khan said that the portal would usher in a new age of governance by giving citizens the power to have a say in the day-to-day activities of the government.
One of Khan’s main battles ever since he assumed office in August this year has been to tackle the menace of corruption – something which he hopes to address with the PCP, as citizens will now be able to bring non-performing departments to book by holding them accountable for their actions.
“This is e-governance that was never there in Pakistan. The governance system will push all departments. As PM, I had no way of knowing how efficient various departments are. If they colluded (with each other), I wouldn’t get feedback. The citizens will hold the government accountable, and such feedback has never been given to any PM in Pakistan before,” he said.
By connecting with more than 4,000 interlinked government offices using one app, nationals in the country and those living abroad can register for the service by submitting their National Identity Card or passport details. This would enable them to provide feedback or address grievances with the specific departments in charge.
All sectors such as health, police and education will be accessible under the new initiative, with the PCP highlighting the function of each ministry, department and office operating in Pakistan so that users are aware of who they need to connect with. To streamline the process, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab have already been linked to the portal with other provinces expected to follow suit soon.
Acknowledging the fact that not all citizens may have Internet access or smartphone connectivity, Khan said such users can send in their messages via letters or phone calls, too.
Highlighting the need to introduce the PCP, Khan said that the main purpose of the initiative was to inculcate a sense of ownership among the citizens and encourage transparency within the government departments. It would also provide citizens with a platform where they could be heard and their needs and requirements acted upon. “All policy-making [decisions] will be done after hearing the voice of the people,” Khan said.
Several on twitter lauded Khan’s decision, with one user posting a tongue-in-cheek comment, directed at former and current members of the opposition: “Now whatever Problem Asif Zardari or Nawaz Sharif or Maulana Fazl ur Rehman have with current government they can also complain through this portal #MeethiMeethiBesti #PakistanCitizenPortal.”
The app is available for download on Android phones while an iOS version is under construction.
