ISLAMABAD: The Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has moved a range of municipal services to Pak App. Residents of the federal capital can now apply for permits and licences, submit documents and pay fees online without visiting government offices.
Under the new system, citizens can submit applications for municipal services from home, upload the required documents digitally, and track the progress of their applications on Pak App.
The MCI has moved several municipal services to the app, including advertisement permits and open-space permits. Applications for parking permits and generator licences can also be made digitally.
Fees and other payments for these services can be made online as well. Once an application is submitted, residents can check its status through the app instead of calling or visiting the office.
The MCI says the main benefit is that residents will no longer need to visit government offices again and again for municipal matters. In the past, getting a permit usually meant several trips: one to collect a form, another to submit it with photocopies, another to pay the fee at a bank, and more to find out what was happening with the file.
For businesses, the advertisement and open-space permits are especially relevant. Shops, event organisers and advertising agencies need these permits for signboards, banners and temporary structures in public spaces. Generator licences became more important after years of power outages pushed commercial buildings and housing societies to rely on backup generators.
Digital systems for public services are generally seen as reducing contact between citizens and officials, which is often where delays and demands for informal payments happen. With online tracking, residents can see where their application is, and a digital record of each application, document and payment makes it easier to check whether it is being handled on time.
The real test will be whether the back-end processes keep up. Across Pakistan, citizens have often found that an online form still leads to the same manual file movement inside offices. Whether the MCI’s system delivers faster service will depend on how quickly applications are approved once they are submitted.
The MCI’s move is part of a broader shift toward digital public services in Pakistan. In Punjab, Lahore recently banned handwritten fine receipts and moved all penalties to e-Pay Punjab. The province has also expanded Police Khidmat Markaz services to simplify citizen services.
The MCI is the municipal body for the Islamabad Capital Territory. It handles services such as sanitation, parks, municipal licensing and the regulation of commercial activity in public spaces.
Digital services do have a limitation. Residents who are older, less comfortable with technology or without a smartphone may still need help. Civic groups usually recommend keeping help desks or facilitation centres open alongside online systems so that no one is left out.
Islamabad residents and businesses, being able to get a parking permit or generator licence from their phone should save time.
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