AZE.US
Azerbaijan has agreed to help Pakistan expand the ASAN public-service model beyond Islamabad after the capital’s pilot center produced positive results.
Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif requested the assistance during an Oct. 10 telephone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, according to an official account of the conversation. Aliyev agreed that Azerbaijan would provide the necessary support.
The governments have not yet disclosed a timetable, the regions to be included or how many additional centers may be established. The agreement therefore signals a planned expansion rather than the launch of specific new facilities.
Islamabad Center Opened in January
Pakistan’s first center based on Azerbaijan’s ASAN concept opened in Islamabad on Jan. 14, 2026. In its initial phase, the center was designed to provide 64 services from 12 government agencies through a single location, according to Azerbaijan’s State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations.
The project followed an intergovernmental agreement signed on Sept. 10, 2025. Pakistani officials had said the model could later be extended from Islamabad to other cities and provinces.
By Feb. 17, the Islamabad center had received more than 15,000 applications, the agency reported. The early use figures and Sharif’s assessment provided the basis for the latest request to broaden the system.
Trade and Investment Also Discussed
Aliyev and Sharif said the countries’ close political ties should be accompanied by stronger economic, trade and investment cooperation. They also reviewed bilateral and multilateral issues, as well as regional and international developments.
The leaders emphasized that regular meetings and consultations have helped strengthen the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Pakistan. Aliyev also praised Pakistan’s recent diplomatic efforts aimed at dialogue, mediation and reducing regional and international tensions.
The development was first reported in Russian by Vesti Baku.