MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has become the second region across the country, after Punjab, to launch an advanced driving license project aimed at streamlining and improving services for its residents, senior police officials said on Saturday.

TheDriving License Information Management System(DLIMS) was officially inaugurated at the Central Police Office (CPO) by AJK Chief Secretary Daud Ahmed Bareach and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rana Abdul Jabbar, the other day.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muzaffarabad, Kamran Ali, who oversaw IT projects for the AJK Police, toldDawnthat the initiative had been made possible with technical support from the Punjab Information and Technology Board (PITB), whose team was also present at the launching ceremony.

“This marks a significant step in our efforts to embrace digitalisation and provide efficient services to the people of the state, no matter where they reside,” SSP Ali said.

Giving an overview of the key features of the new system, he said it enabled applicants to complete the procedures for obtaining or renewing driving licenses with greater ease and in less time.

“Applicants can now apply for license renewals or replacements online, even if they are living abroad, by paying the required fees through e-transactions,” SSP Ali explained.

For first-time applicants, the system allowed processing from any district in AJK, eliminating the earlier restriction that required submissions only from the applicant’s home district, he added.

He informed that since the rollout of online learning permits on April 8, the AJK Police had issued 15,990 permits, demonstrating the public’s growing adoption of digital services.

Separately, IGP Jabbar told Dawn that the AJK Police were expanding IT solutions for most services related to them.

The DLIMS was part of a broader digital transformation strategy implemented by the AJK Police in collaboration with the PITB, he said.

The IGP informed that theCrime Mapping Systemhad been launched in AJK on Friday to track and analyze crime patterns across the region. Continuing, he said two more IT-based systems — theTenant Registration System, designed to streamline tenant verification processes, and theAnti-Vehicle Lifting System, aimed at combating vehicle theft through real-time data sharing and tracking — were in the pipeline.

“These systems are tailored to meet the specific needs of AJK, and we are committed to utilizing them to their fullest potential for the greater good of society,” he said.

IGP Jabbar expressed his appreciation for PITB’s support, noting its critical role in enhancing police operations in AJK.

“The PITB has been a valuable partner in our journey toward modernization, and we look forward to more such collaborations in the future,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kashmiri residents, particularly those living abroad, have also welcomed the initiative.

“As someone working overseas, the ability to renew my license online without traveling back home is a game-changer,” said Sajid Yousaf, a Birmingham (UK)-based Kashmiri activist, in his comments on social media.

“The DLIMS and associated projects mark a new chapter for AJK’s public service delivery, bringing the region closer to achieving a fully digitised and citizen-friendly administrative framework,” he wrote.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2024