LAHORE: Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman inaugurated five digital systems at the Government College (GC) Lahore, including the Punjab government’s E-Filing and Office Automation System (e-FOAS), to improve efficiency, service delivery and transparency.
Addressing the ceremony, the chief secretary said he would take up the wider implementation of e-FOAS with the Higher Education Department and asked GC administration to help other institutions as well in adopting the platform.
The Punjab government has provided e-FOAS to the GC free of charge through the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB). The four other systems, including GCU Helpdesk and GCU Societies Portal, were developed in house as part of the institution’s transition to digital operations.
Mr Zaman said electronic filing had improved the tracking of official business, reduced delays and strengthened record security in government offices.
He said the GC was among the institutions selected by the chief minister to strengthen their standing among the country’s leading educational institutions. He invited the administration to submit its development proposals and assured it of government support.
He called for forming a think tank at the GC and preparing a plan to develop it into a leading institution for the 21st century.
A GC alumnus, Mr Zaman, welcomed the progress made under VC Prof Dr Muhammad Omer Chaudhry.
Earlier, the VC said e-FOAS had been implemented across the institution, serving more than 400 users, including faculty members and the vice chancellor’s office. He said the GC was the first university in Pakistan to implement the system at this scale. The Societies Portal supports student societies and their activities, while GC Archives provides a digital repository for historical documents and collections. Similarly, the GC Helpdesk allows users to submit service requests and track their resolution, and the VC Office Portal brings together an executive dashboard, meeting calendar and decision queue.
Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2026
