Azerbaijan awards Pakistan IT minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja for digital cooperation

Azerbaijan has honoured Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, with its Medal

Islamabad: Azerbaijan has honoured Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, with its Medal for Effective Cooperation with ASAN Service, recognising her role in strengthening cooperation between the two countries to improve public services.

The award was presented on November 5, 2026, during a special ceremony in Baku, Azerbaijan, on the sidelines of the UN Governance Innovation Summit. The recognition comes as Pakistan’s Asan Khidmat Markaz in Islamabad has provided more than 171,000 citizens with government services through a single centre.

Ulvi Mehdiyev, Chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations, presented the medal to the Pakistani minister. The ceremony was attended by ministers, senior officials from more than 100 countries and over 200 information technology professionals.

The summit was jointly organised by Azerbaijan’s State Agency and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

The award recognises Shaza Fatima’s role in promoting cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan to make government services easier to access. The partnership is based on Azerbaijan’s internationally recognised ASAN Service model, which brings services from different government departments together under one roof.

Pakistan established the Asan Khidmat Markaz in Islamabad with support and cooperation from Azerbaijan. The centre initially offered 64 services from 12 government departments. It has since provided services to more than 171,000 citizens.

Addressing the summit, Shaza Fatima highlighted the progress made through the centre and thanked Azerbaijan for its support in designing the facility, developing its software and improving service delivery.

She said Pakistan remained committed to making government procedures simpler so citizens could complete their official work at one place without unnecessary difficulty. The aim is to provide public services with greater ease, dignity and efficiency.

During her visit, the minister also held meetings with Ulvi Mehdiyev and senior United Nations officials. The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in information technology, digital governance and public service delivery.

The partnership aims to use technology to make government services more accessible and efficient. By bringing several departments together, the Asan Khidmat Markaz allows citizens to access different services without having to visit separate government offices.

The Pakistani government described the award as an important step in the growing friendship between Pakistan and Azerbaijan. It said the recognition reflected the two countries’ shared commitment to improving public services and building greater public trust in government institutions.

The government also expressed its intention to further strengthen cooperation with Azerbaijan in digital governance and citizen focused services in the coming years.