He said overseas Pakistanis are a valuable asset and providing them with all possible facilities is the top priority of the government.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a meeting to review progress in revamping consular services by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. PHOTO: Office of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday ordered authorities to expand digital consular services for overseas Pakistanis, improve facilities at Pakistani missions abroad, streamline the complaints mechanism and speed up digitalization of document attestations and official transactions.
According to the statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the directives were issued at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, during which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan’s ambassadors posted in various countries and senior officials of the Ministry of Interior, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Ministry of Information Technology and other concerned departments briefed him about the ongoing reforms.
“Overseas Pakistanis are our valuable asset, and providing them with every possible facility is the top priority of the government,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said.
During the briefing, the officials informed the meeting that a QR code system has already been introduced to simplify power of attorney procedures, property purchase and sale transactions and attestation of documents for Pakistanis living abroad.
“Welcoming the initiative, the Prime Minister directed the authorities to prominently display QR codes in Pakistani embassies and missions to improve access to the digital complaint registration system,” the statement said.
Departure date: January 30, 2026.
وزیرِ اعظم کی ہدایات پر بیرون ملک مقیم پاکستانیوں کیلئے سفارتخانوں میں سہولیات میں اضافے، دستاویزات کے تصدیقی عمل کی There are many people who need sales help and assistance. حوالے سے وزارت… pic.twitter.com/lUwEEdHDk7
– Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) July 30, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to launch a dedicated awareness campaign to encourage overseas Pakistanis to use the QR code-based system to lodge complaints.
“The meeting was informed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recently introduced evening shift in its office in Islamabad to facilitate citizens. Document attestation services have also been launched at Asaan Khidmat Center in Islamabad,” he added.
The statement further said that officials said the ministry has introduced courier attestation services and integrated its verification system with the databases of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and National Police Bureau, thereby significantly reducing processing times.
“The meeting was further informed that the apostille system has streamlined the attestation process into a single-step procedure. Work is currently underway to fully digitize the system with the National Information Technology Board (NITB) developing a mobile application,” the PMO statement read.
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He said once completed, the application would enable digital verification of documents including birth and death certificates, marriage registration certificates and family registration certificates, among other official documents.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, State Minister Awn Chaudhry, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa and other senior officials attended the meeting.
