Asaan Khidmat Centres Get Go-Ahead in AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan
The federal government told AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan to tender for Asaan Khidmat Centres on 6 October 2026. See the 3 models, the no extra fee pledge and status
The federal government has told Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) to start tendering for their own Asaan Khidmat Centres. The order came on 6 October 2026. The Centre will pay for them. No opening date, city or number of centres has been announced.
An Asaan Khidmat Centre puts several government counters under one roof, so a citizen does not run from office to office. For people in AJK and GB, a passport or a CNIC job can mean a long trip to a district headquarters. A centre closer to home would cut that.
We read the Press Information Department's release of 6 October 2026. Here is exactly what it decided, and what it left open.
AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan must start tendering for the centres
Federal Minister Ahad Cheema directed the Chief Secretaries of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan to begin the tendering process for the centres. He said the federal government would provide the funds. The Chief Secretaries joined the meeting online and agreed to go ahead.
Mr Cheema holds the Economic Affairs and Establishment Division portfolios. He asked for the work to be done quickly, in line with the Prime Minister's directions.
Tendering is the first step, not the last. A tender is a public call for companies to bid for the work. Only after bids are judged and a contract is signed can a building be fitted out and staff placed. The release gives no timeline for any of this.
Three ways to run centres in other cities were reviewed
The meeting also looked at how to spread the Asaan Khidmat model to other cities. Three operating models were discussed. The Minister asked for a feasibility study, and for proposals to be sent to the Prime Minister for a decision.
| Model | Who provides the premises | Who runs it |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Government | Private company |
| Fully private | Private company, under a government licence | Private company |
| Government operated | Government | Government |
None of the three has been chosen. The Minister only asked for a study. So a city outside AJK and GB should not expect a new centre on the strength of this meeting alone.
Private operators must not charge citizens extra
The most useful line for the public is a promise. The Minister said any private sector model must include safeguards so that private operators do not charge citizens additional fees. He said the initiative is meant to help the public and its costs should not be passed on to them.
That is a stated intention, not a rule in force. The release does not say how the safeguard would work or who would check it. If a centre near you ever asks for a fee above the official charge of the service, that is the sentence to quote when you complain.
Service charges, such as a passport fee or a NADRA fee, are set by the department that provides the service. They are separate from anything a private operator might add. The Minister's words say the second kind must not exist.
NADRA and Immigration and Passports may share operating costs
The Minister asked officials to study a revenue sharing arrangement with the departments that work inside the centres. The release names NADRA and the Immigration and Passports Department. His reasoning was that the government already supplies the premises and utilities, so those departments should help with running costs.
For a private operator, the plan is to share revenue in an agreed way. This is the kind of detail that decides whether a private centre can survive without charging users. It has not been settled.
The release also says the Minister was satisfied with the services and the number of visitors at the Asaan Khidmat Centre in G-9, Islamabad. He ordered its facilities improved further.
Post offices and other government buildings are only an idea
The meeting discussed using centrally located post offices and other government buildings to offer Asaan Khidmat services in more cities. The Minister asked for a feasibility study. The release states plainly that no decision was taken on this.
It is a sensible idea for towns that have a post office but no space for a new building. It is also a long way from reality. Readers should treat it as a proposal.
The meeting was also attended by IT and Telecommunication Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, the Secretary for Inter-Provincial Coordination, the Secretary for Communications, Finance Ministry representatives and Prime Minister's Office officials.
What this means for you today
Nothing opens next week. If you live in AJK or Gilgit-Baltistan, you still use your usual district offices for NADRA and passport work. The release gives no dates, no cities and no count of centres.
The services these departments offer have not changed. If you need to fix or replace a document now, our guides to a CNIC reprint on the Pak ID app and to replacing a lost passport still apply. For payments through a franchise outlet rather than a government counter, see what NADRA e-Sahulat franchises can handle.
Watch for three things over the next months, in this order.
- A tender notice from the AJK or GB government.
- The sites named for the centres.
- A decision from the Prime Minister on the three models.
Common questions
Has an Asaan Khidmat Centre opened in AJK or Gilgit-Baltistan?
No. On 6 October 2026 the federal government told both regions to start tendering. No centre has opened and no date is given.
Who is paying for the centres in AJK and GB?
The federal government, according to the Minister. He said it would provide the required funds.
Will private operators charge extra fees at these centres?
The Minister said safeguards must stop private operators from charging citizens additional fees. The release does not say how this would be enforced.
Which services will the centres offer?
The release names NADRA and Immigration and Passports as departments that would share costs. It does not give a full list of services.
Will Asaan Khidmat Centres open in other cities?
Three models were reviewed, but only a feasibility study was ordered. No city and no model has been chosen.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 7 October 2026. Everything above was read in the Press Information Department's press release No. 60 of 6 October 2026, which we opened on the department's own website. We could not open an official Asaan Khidmat page listing services, so this article does not list them.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
