The Punjab government has instructed all provincial departments and district level offices to transition to a fully paperless system by July 1, 2026, as part of its broader digital governance and administrative reform agenda.
The decision was taken during a meeting of provincial secretaries chaired by the Chief Secretary of Punjab at the Civil Secretariat in Lahore.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary directed all provincial secretaries to ensure the immediate integration of government departments and field offices with the province’s e-Filing and Office Automation System (e-FOAS).
Officials also decided that beginning with the new fiscal year on July 1, all field offices will be required to carry out official correspondence and administrative functions exclusively through the digital platform.
Speaking at the conference, the Chief Secretary said the transition from traditional paper-based files to the e-FOAS system demonstrates the government’s commitment to promoting information technology and modernising public administration.
He said that the ongoing digitisation process has already generated annual savings worth billions of rupees for the national exchequer.
According to officials, the paperless initiative will significantly reduce expenses related to paper, stationery and printing while enhancing the efficiency, transparency and speed of government operations.
The Chief Secretary also instructed all departments to complete staff training and ensure the availability of the required digital infrastructure before the July 1, 2026 deadline.
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In another development, Inspector General (IG) Islamabad, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, has taken a major step to modernise the licensing system by making the Islamabad Traffic Police licensing process completely paperless.
IG Islamabad formally inaugurated the paperless licensing system. Chief Traffic Officer Muhammad Sarfraz Virk and other traffic officials were also present on the occasion.
The IG reviewed all paperless counters and issued directives regarding the new system. Speaking at the event, he said the initiative has been introduced to facilitate citizens and save their valuable time.
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