By Babar Haq
Many Pakistani government organizations still undermine the value of investing in IT equipment, let alone the digitalization of all the processes. One of the broader strategies is their web presence. I discussed it in my previous article from a couple of years ago.
I talked about Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MOFA) non-responsive and non-interactive web presence. The sole purpose of the website still seems to be just posting redundant information. Significant time has elapsed since then, and there has been a new government in place for almost two and a half years.
Therefore, I thought it’s the best time to revisit the issue.
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Unfortunately, similar to previous governments, the current one has just made some cosmetic changes to their online presence instead of addressing the main issue. The new website was launched with much fanfare, but turned out to be a case of “old wine in a new bottle”. It is still a one-way mouthpiece to showcase the ministry’s press releases.
‘Do Not Contact Us’ Page
The contact us page lacks its main purpose, i.e. there is no way for a visitor to get in touch with any department of the ministry. The page has an endless list of useless and unresponsive phone/fax numbers. Also, two nonfunctional and non-responsive email addresses are listed which are [email protected] and [email protected]k.
This time, I had Citizen Portal to raise this issue, however, they didn’t really understand the context and issued the following response.
Outdated And Inconsistent Information
Official web portals embassies/consulates under mofa.gov.pk rarely get updated or modified.
This could be because consulates/embassies do not have direct access to post/modify content on mofa.gov.pk based URLs. They find it more convenient to just post updates on Facebook or Twitter. All of the consulates/embassies have numerous unverified Twitter/Facebook handles which broadcast information in bits and pieces. Hence there is no single source of truth leaving the end-user confused.
Nevertheless, all these channels including the email addresses are one-way traffic only.
A Ray Of Hope
The PTI government did make tons of transfers in consulates/embassies heads. One such example is where I live i.e. Dubai. Ahmed Amjad Ali was posted as Pakistan’s Consul General CG in Dubai on 22 January 2019. He carried under his belt a very positive reputation while being deputed as the Consul General in Bradford, UK.
Things gradually started to change. The first piece of information I received was from my Lebanese colleague who always used to complain about the visa services. During his last visit (before the online visa started) he noticed a visible change in attitude at the consulate.
The website was updated and all landline numbers were replaced with mobile numbers while mentioning that the phone system is being overhauled (which has been the case for more than a year now). These mobile numbers do ring but are not answered.
Successful Strategy During COVID-19
The Consul General encountered a big challenge: the COVID-19 pandemic. He had to find an effective way to communicate with the massive number of Pakistanis living in the UAE. He rose to the challenge by using the latest digital communication platforms like Google, WhatsApp and social media.
There was a large number of Pakistanis who lost their jobs during COVID-19 and wanted to go back to Pakistan. Initially, they uploaded a repatriation form on their social media account, requesting people to fill it up and send a scanned copy to an email address. This didn’t work out as they received a large number of requests and no option to analyze the data.
They fixed the issue by replacing it with a Google form to collect the information. According to estimates, more than 70,000 Pakistanis signed up for repatriation flights. I also noticed them using WhatsApp business accounts to auto-respond to public queries. Their Facebook page was the main source of information but it was again one way.
He realized this issue and improvised and managed to come up with ways to communicate efficiently and effectively with the masses using various technologies. However, it still remains the ministry’s job to provide consulates with the latest IT resources to perform their duties.
Unfortunately, until today the only way to get an immediate response from the consulate is to physically visit the place.
Evaluation of Previous Suggestions
Here is an objective evaluation of suggestions given in my previous article:
- Book appointment at embassy/consulates for various tasks
Some Embassies started but most of those systems are not working anymore - Online visa application for foreigners
Done - Log complaint online
There is no way you can get in touch with MOFA online. Citizen portal has helped to a great extent here. - Working/authentic/accountable contact details
Absolutely nothing.
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To achieve digitalization, a holistic approach with a team working under a CIO is required for an organization of MOFA’s size. I am sure that budget has never been a problem; it’s the priorities that are wrong.
