LAHORE: In a major step towards preserving and expanding public access to Punjab’s historical heritage, the Punjab government has launched the third phase of the Punjab Archives Digitisation Project, enabling citizens to access and download hundreds of thousands of archival records online.

Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman inaugurated the new phase of the initiative at the Civil Secretariat on Tuesday. The project is being implemented with the support of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB).

According to officials, the first two phases of the project have already been completed, during which more than 1.1 million historical documents were converted into digital format. Under the third phase, an additional 825,000 archival records will be digitised using modern scanning technology.

All digitised material has been made available on the official Punjab Archives website:archives.punjab.gov.pk, allowing researchers, students and members of the public to browse and download documents remotely.

During the inauguration ceremony, the chief secretary reviewed the ongoing scanning process at the Archives Department and directed officials to further improve the website’s user interface to ensure easier access to historical material. He remarked that preserving historical records was a national responsibility and that modern technology was being used to make this heritage more accessible to the public.

Officials briefed the meeting that the project aims at safeguarding Punjab’s documentary heritage from deterioration while preserving it in line with international archival standards.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2026