The federal government has approved moving ahead with tendering for Asaan Khidmat Centres in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan, according to the Press Information Department’s press release No. 60 dated 6 October 2026. The decision came out of a review meeting chaired by Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema.
Under the decision, the Chief Secretaries of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan have been directed to begin the tendering process for the centres. The federal government will fund the initiative, while the regional administrations will run the procurement.
What the 6 October decision covers, and what it does not
This is a tendering-stage decision only. Three operating models were reviewed at the meeting: a hybrid model, a fully private model, and a government-operated model. None of the three has been selected, and a feasibility study has been ordered before a final choice is made.
Revenue sharing with NADRA and the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports is also under study. The meeting agreed that any private operator must not charge citizens extra fees, although the release does not spell out how that safeguard would be enforced. Plans to host centres in post offices and government buildings are at the feasibility stage only.
It is important to be clear about what the 6 October announcement does not include: there is no opening date, no list of cities, and no centre count. Any launch schedule or location list in circulation is not part of this confirmed decision.
Earlier reports versus the confirmed decision
Earlier media coverage, including ProPakistani’s May 2026 reporting and accounts of the 1 October prime minister’s meeting, mentioned possible locations such as Gilgit, Skardu and Muzaffarabad. These are earlier reports and should not be confused with the 6 October tendering decision, which names no cities.
Similarly, the ’60+ services’ figure comes from descriptions of the Asaan Khidmat service-centre model. The 6 October release itself names only NADRA and Immigration and Passports as the agencies under discussion.
What happens next
For residents of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, the tendering directive is a step toward one-window access to federal services closer to home. Until the feasibility study is complete and an operating model is chosen, however, there is no announced timeline, city list, or centre count.
We will keep tracking the Asaan Khidmat Centres AJK GB tendering process as it moves forward. For more updates on federal citizen services, visit the 8171 BISP Information homepage.