Pakistan has shortlisted 10 key public services for digital delivery and has developed and tested a pilot citizen services portal, under the $78 million Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP). Pakistan digital services are now moving from separate department counters towards a single platform, according to a document from the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication cited by ProPakistani on Wednesday, October 28.
The National Information Technology Board (NITB) and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) are leading the work. Their brief is to make services easier to reach and improve secure data sharing between departments, so citizens do not carry the same papers from office to office.
One platform for government services
The project has integrated Single Sign-On with the National Data Exchange Layer. In plain terms, that means a citizen should be able to log in once and reach connected services through one system, instead of creating a separate account for every department and re-submitting the same identity documents each time.
The Pak App has also been published on Android and iOS, with some services integrated. The app brings services together in one place, rather than scattering them across department websites.
DEEP also includes several other components: the National Digital Portal, digital services collaboration, a Civic Innovation and Technology Lab, and the Pakistan Business Portal. Through these platforms and secure data sharing, the project aims to improve government efficiency, increase transparency and make public services more accessible to citizens.
Digital identity documents in a vault
The project also includes a digital identity system and the PakID Vault. Six official documents have been made available in digital vaults that can be accessed through the Pak App. They include the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC), the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), the Pakistan Origin Card (POC), and key federal and provincial licences.
The system aims to make digital identity checks easier, reduce fraud and cut delays when citizens access public services. For a citizen, the practical change is simple: an identity document held in a verified digital vault can be shown or checked without a trip to an office to fetch a paper copy.
How the $78 million project works
DEEP is funded by the World Bank and aims to modernise government services and strengthen Pakistan’s digital infrastructure. Project Management Units and Implementing Units have been set up to support the project. Their work includes developing systems that allow government institutions to exchange data securely and work together more effectively.
That institutional side matters as much as the app. A portal only works if departments behind it can share verified data safely, and the National Data Exchange Layer is designed to do that sharing, with controls on which department can see what.
What Pakistan digital services mean for citizens
The honest limit in the reporting so far is that the document cited does not name the 10 shortlisted services one by one. Readers should therefore treat the list as a shortlist in progress, not as a published catalogue of services that are live today. What is confirmed is the direction: 10 services picked for digital delivery, a pilot portal tested, single sign-on linked to the data exchange layer, and six identity documents already available in digital vaults.
The project sits alongside other government digital efforts that Feature Pakistan has covered, including Pakistan’s e-passport fees and formats and a separate World Bank-backed $600 million reform programme for wheat and sugar. DEEP is distinct from that programme: it is about how citizens reach services, not about commodity markets.
What happens next
The next steps to watch are the names of the 10 shortlisted services, the timetable for moving each one onto the portal, and whether the Pak App adds services beyond those already integrated. The project will also be judged on the basics: whether a single login works across departments, whether data sharing stays secure, and whether a digital document in the PakID Vault is accepted wherever a paper document is accepted today.
Frequently asked questions
What is DEEP?
The Digital Economy Enhancement Project is a $78 million World Bank-funded programme to modernise government services and strengthen Pakistan’s digital infrastructure, led by NITB and NADRA.
What is the Pak App?
It is the citizen app published on Android and iOS that brings government services together in one place, with some services already integrated and digital identity documents available through the PakID Vault.
