Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set a firm deadline of March 20, 2025, for all federal ministries and divisions to achieve 100% e-Office adoption, including inter-ministerial correspondence. This directive is part of the government’s broader digital transformation agenda aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and governance. The move follows a briefing by the Secretary of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication to the federal cabinet, where the progress of various ministries on e-Office implementation was reviewed.
The cabinet had initially mandated complete e-Office adoption in January 2025, requiring all divisions to ensure intra-ministerial digital correspondence, shift inter-ministerial communication exclusively to e-Office, and extend its use to all attached departments and state-owned enterprises. A progress report presented to the cabinet in December 2024 indicated that out of 43 divisions, 23 had already achieved full e-Office adoption. By January 2025, an additional 12 divisions that had previously been at 90% or above had reached full compliance. Two divisions that were at 80% and 70% in December had also made significant improvements, hitting the 100% target.
The most notable progress was made by the Ministry of Water Resources, which jumped from just 16.8% e-Office usage in December to full compliance in January. However, not all ministries demonstrated similar progress. The Defense Production Division, for example, increased its e-Office adoption from 26.9% in December to 40.2% in January, indicating slow but steady progress. On the other hand, the Revenue Division, which had previously been at 97.5% compliance, saw a decline to 83% in January, raising concerns about sustainability and consistency in implementation.
Regarding inter-ministerial correspondence, 21 out of 43 divisions were fully utilizing e-Office, while six had surpassed 90% compliance. Another six divisions had crossed the 70% mark, while six more were operating at 50% or above. Two divisions were between 30% and 50%, while the Water Resources and Defense Production Divisions remained at a low 20% and 12%, respectively. This discrepancy highlighted the need for more targeted efforts to bring lagging divisions up to speed.
During the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the top-performing ministries for their dedication but expressed dissatisfaction with those lagging in implementation. He emphasized that inter-ministerial correspondence should extend beyond federal ministries to include autonomous bodies and attached departments to ensure a fully integrated digital governance system. He instructed the Minister for Establishment to oversee this expansion and ensure compliance.
Several cabinet members noted that digitalization should not be seen as an end in itself but as a tool to enhance efficiency and service delivery. Others raised concerns about the challenges faced by Pakistan’s embassies and missions abroad, where access to digital services and document verification remains a significant hurdle for overseas Pakistanis and visa applicants. In response, the Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication to assist the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in fully digitalizing consular services and enhancing accessibility for Pakistanis abroad.
Following the discussion, the cabinet issued formal directives reinforcing the deadline for e-Office adoption across all ministries, divisions, attached departments, and regulatory authorities. Additionally, the Ministry of IT was tasked with supporting the digital transformation of Pakistan’s foreign missions to streamline processes for overseas Pakistanis. With the March 20, 2025, deadline fast approaching, the pressure is now on lagging ministries to accelerate their e-Office adoption. The initiative represents a major step toward modernizing Pakistan’s bureaucracy, reducing paperwork, improving accountability, and enhancing service delivery for citizens and businesses alike.
