The newly installed E-Office system, developed by the National Information Technology Board (NITB) and implemented by the Ministry of IT and Telecom, is reportedly causing significant disruptions to workflow operations across federal ministries and divisions. Instead of streamlining processes, the system has introduced technical challenges that have made daily correspondence and work more difficult for government officers and civil servants according to a report by ProPakistani.

Despite the Prime Minister’s directive to transition to a paperless workflow, federal ministries and departments remain heavily reliant on traditional paperwork due to the inefficiencies of the E-Office system. Sources revealed that the system is plagued by hosting and capacity issues, with more than 100 officers unable to log in simultaneously. When 25% of officers access the system at the same time, it automatically logs them out within two minutes. Additionally, frequent downtimes, sometimes lasting several hours, have further disrupted operations.

Officers have also raised concerns about the system’s impact on their ability to evaluate professional performance, with many resorting to manual paperwork to complete tasks. Furthermore, several sub-departments within ministries reportedly lack access to the E-Office system altogether, further complicating the transition to a digital workflow.

NITB CEO Babar Bhatti stated that he was unaware of any technical problems with the system. However, the widespread complaints suggest otherwise, with many officers expressing frustration over the system’s inefficiencies.

The E-Office system was introduced as part of the government’s initiative to modernize operations and reduce reliance on paper-based processes. However, unless the technical flaws are addressed promptly, the system risks undermining the very goals it was designed to achieve.