To avoid meeting in the corona as social distancing is the only weapon to defeat it, the foreign minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi launched ‘FM direct’. A mobile application that would enable him and all ministry officials to stay connected.
Each grade officer will be directly connected with the minister. Technology and digital communication will help to maintain transparency and meritocracy in the department.
“The mobile application has been introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic as an efficient and swift medium of internal communication, in cognizance of the critical importance of interactive and responsive multi-stakeholder coordination and dialogue,” the statement read.
As a part of public diplomacy, Qureshi introduced #VisionFO in December 2019. It promoted macro vision, digital landscape and provided transparent communication.
The concept of e-office was introduced by foreign offices as well as secure and encrypted video conferencing facilities which would enable the department to connect in any part of the world.
Qureshi, under the ‘FM Connect coffee mornings’, regularly connects with a diversity of stakeholders across Pakistan each month, to help frame a more progressive and inclusive foreign policy. He has also introduced an advisory council, engaging the expert views of seasoned retired diplomats.
The officials present at the launch of FM Direct included Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, Special Assistant to the PM on Digital Pakistan Tania Aidrus, National Information Technology Board CEO Shabahat Ali Shah, Prime minister’s focal person on digital media Dr. Arslan Khalid, digital expert Imran Ghazali, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) chairman, and members of foreign minister’s Digital Diplomacy Group and senior officials of the ministry.
Over 60 heads of Pakistan missions across different geographical and time zones virtually participated in the event.
For developing the FM Direct app the foreign minister thanked the chairman of Nadra for providing secure and interactive features. The app will be updated regularly to make communication easier.
Whenever there is disaster or crisis, it brings changes, innovation and new ideas emerge,” Qureshi noted.
“We are now equipped with tools that were not available to us before and we need to benefit from them.”
