By: Maarij Farooq
For a citizen standing outside a government office, good governance has a simple meaning. It means getting a document without repeated visits, receiving a pension without uncertainty, and finding someone willing to explain a procedure. These everyday experiences shape how people feel about their country’s institutions. A policy may sound impressive in a speech, but its real value becomes clear at the service counter.
Azerbaijan offers Pakistan a useful example through its ASAN and DOST models. Both place the citizen’s convenience at the centre of public service. Their relevance lies in a question that Pakistan must take seriously: how much effort should a person have to make to receive a service that the state is responsible for providing?
Established in 2012 under President Ilham Aliyev, ASAN brings services from different government agencies together in shared centres. Citizens can access services involving identity documents, passports, civil registration and other routine needs through a more coordinated system. Its value is easy to understand. People should not have to navigate the internal structure of government to get their work done. The institutions should handle that coordination themselves.
DOST applies a similar approach to social services. Established in 2018, with its first centre opening in May 2019, it brings together assistance related to employment, social protection, disability and rehabilitation. The concept was initiated by First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva. For an elderly person, an unemployed worker or someone living with a disability, access to several services through one place can remove a considerable burden. It also recognises that people seeking support deserve patience, clear information and respectful treatment.
For Pakistan, this discussion has already moved beyond studying a foreign example. On 14 January 2026, an ASAN service centre was inaugurated in Islamabad, following cooperation between the two governments. The opening announcement outlined an initial plan for 64 services from 12 public institutions. Azerbaijan also presented its DOST concept to Pakistani representatives. This gives Pakistan a practical starting point from which to assess results and consider wider application.
The next step should be guided by what citizens experience. How many visits does an application require? Are fees clearly displayed? Can people track progress? Is a complaint answered, and does that answer solve anything? Publishing these results would help establish whether the model is delivering meaningful improvements. A well furnished office can make a good first impression, but public confidence depends on what happens after a person submits an application.
Pakistan must also adapt the approach to its own circumstances. Its larger population, provincial responsibilities and differences between urban and rural areas require careful planning. Federal and provincial departments would need clear agreements on responsibilities, information sharing and service deadlines. Expansion should build on existing facilities wherever possible, with trained staff and reliable operating budgets.
DOST’s approach could be especially valuable for families seeking several forms of support. A person asking about disability assistance may also need rehabilitation or employment guidance. A coordinated service desk could help that person understand the available options and complete the necessary steps. Pakistan could begin with selected districts, assess the experience of applicants, and expand where the results justify it.
Access outside major cities deserves equal attention. Azerbaijan’s mobile ASAN services offer a useful example of taking services closer to communities. Pakistan could explore similar arrangements for remote districts, alongside assistance in local languages. Digital systems should make applications easier while keeping a practical route open for people who cannot use them independently.
Cooperation with Azerbaijan can give the bilateral relationship a direct place in ordinary people’s lives. The lasting achievement would be a pensioner spared another journey, a worker receiving timely guidance, or a family completing its paperwork without paying an intermediary. When citizens leave a public office with their work completed and their dignity intact, reform begins to mean something.
The writer is the deputy editor-in-chief at Daily Ittehad & Pakistan Economic Network.
