ISLAMABAD – We’re all tired of going from one government website to another just to get basic information, but a new Pakistani AI platform, Ask Pakistan, aims to change that, putting information from hundreds of government sources behind a simple question.

For Pakistanis, this frustration may soon end, with a new AI-powered platform that brings together information from hundreds of government sources into one interactive interface. Developed by Pakistani tech professional Raheel Siddiqui, Ask Pakistan allows users to easily type or speak their questions in English, Urdu or Roman Urdu and search for government-related information from one platform.

Creator of PakistanGov.onlinesaid the website recorded more than 7,500 visits from 71 countries in just 24 hours. According to Siddiqui, more than 1,700 people asked questions, giving more than 5,000 answers, each answer backed by an official source.

About a third of the traffic came from outside Pakistan, with the US, UAE, UK, Germany, Canada and Saudi Arabia among the leading countries. The creator said that most users are seeking information about passports, CNICs and taxes, highlighting the continued demand for easy access to basic government services.

He added that users are spending about two minutes on the platform, indicating that they are reading responses rather than just browsing. The current version is just the first step, he said, with the long-term goal being to allow users to make requests like “renew my passport” and eventually complete the process through the platform.

Ask Pakistan says it currently links information from 212 federal, provincial and regulatory websites, aggregating services and information from agencies including NADRA, FBR, BISP, HEC, FPSC and PTA.

The directory also includes provincial governments, police departments, utility providers and courts. According to the platform’s homepage, its system has indexed more than 5,000 pages from official government sources. The concept was inspired by the launch of America.gov in the United States, which uses an AI-powered interface to aggregate information from over 29,000 government websites.

One of the key features of the platform is its interactive approach. Instead of having to identify the correct government department or search through complex menus, users can ask questions directly. The platform supports English, Urdu and Roman Urdu, making it potentially useful for those who may struggle to navigate traditional government portals.

Ask Pakistan states that its answers are based only on information obtained from official government websites. It also provides original source information and, where possible, explains what users should do next.

If the available official material does not provide an answer, the system is designed to acknowledge this rather than generate an unsupported answer. Privacy is another major feature highlighted by the platform.

Ask Pakistan says that sensitive information such as CNIC numbers, phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers and bank account details are removed before a user submits a query in the browser. The platform also says it does not maintain a history of users’ conversations or associate individual questions with specific users.

Some preliminary questions and answers, however, may be temporarily stored for approximately 24 hours after the personal identification number is removed.

Despite collecting information from official websites, Ask Pakistan is not an official government service. This platform cannot access private government records, submit requests, complete transactions or perform services on behalf of users.

It cautions users to verify information directly with the relevant government department, especially when dealing with details that may change, such as fees, deadlines and application requirements.