A Friend at the Door: What Azerbaijan's DOST Model Can Offer Pakistan's Social Protection

The word dost in Azerbaijani is meaning “friend”. It is appropriate that a place which has transformed the relationship between the state and the nation’s most vulnerable people would bear such a name. ASAN Service has made government transactions a breeze, and DOST has done the same with pensions, disability benefits, employment and social assistance. DOST is the logical next step for Pakistan, which is currently developing its ASAN collaboration with Azerbaijan.

The Birth of a “Social Innovation”

DOST is an Agency for Sustainable and Operative Social Security, which was created by a decree of the President of Azerbaijan on 9 August 2018. The idea was initiated by the First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population opened the first DOST centre in May 2019.

The concept was a simple and revolutionary one. Elements of social protection services were previously dispersed in numerous offices and would now be made available via a “one-stop” service. A jobseeker or a family looking for targeted assistance, a person with a disability, or a pensioner no longer has to beat the pavement at several doors.

DOST delivers 162 state social services in the areas of employment, labour relations, disability and social protection today. Seven DOST centres, two branches, a “Smart DOST” point and two service points operate in Baku and the regions. Azerbaijan is going to open 14 regional and 64 branch DOST centres by 2030, covering all regions of the country.

Results That Speak

Scale and quality are represented by the numbers. Of these, almost 900,000 citizens were served at DOST centres during 2025 and over 4.1 million prior to that. The satisfaction rate of the citizens has always been over 98 per cent, a rate that many of the public institutions of the world would envy.

Moreover, DOST’s work is also recognized internationally. The agency has been honoured with over 30 international awards and certificates, such as the one from the International Social Security Association and the European Social Network, as well as the UN award for innovative solutions in public services. The “Volunteer DOST” initiative has infused a humanistic and socially responsible aspect to social service.
What makes DOST so special?What makes DOST so special?

DOST has found success and is relevant not just in Azerbaijan, but because of several features.

Proactive service. Instead of citizens having to find out what they’re entitled to, the system identifies who is entitled and who needs support, based on integrated data.
Deep digitalisation. Many services are entirely electronic and automated, relying on a centralised information system providing a linkage between labour, pension and social data.
House and mobile services. DOST brings services to the doorstep rather than requiring the elderly and people with disabilities to travel.
Dignity by design. The centres are welcoming and accessible and the staff are trained to see each applicant as a client, not as a petitioner, and treat him with respect.

The Relevance and Importance of DOST for Pakistan

Pakistan’s progress towards social protection is noteworthy. The Benazir Income Support Programme is targeted at millions of low income families, and provincial social security institutions like PESSI and the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution cater to the needs of workers and pensioners. But citizens are still faced with separate offices, separate forms and separate rules. Elderly pensioners wait in line for their documents to be checked; employees have trouble finding proof of contributions and people with disabilities have to travel great distances to receive support.

One way such services can be integrated into a unified system that is accessible to citizens is through a DOST-inspired approach. Pakistan might look at a few options on the basis of the existing Asaan Khidmat programme with which Pakistan is already engaged.
Social service windows at the Asaan Khidmat centres.

The initial phase may include, in addition to the existing centres, BISP, EOBI and provincial social security desks, with a single entry point.
Integration of Data with NADRA. Social registry linkage, contribution records and disability certification can all be done based on Pakistan’s strong identity system.
Proactive enrolment. Integrated data could help to inform eligible citizens of their rights and cut out exclusion of the poorest and most remote households.
Services are mobile and home based. The rural Pakistanis and elderly and handicapped population of Pakistan would greatly benefit from the establishment of outreach units like DOST’s home services.

Technical cooperation with Azerbaijan. Similarly, a formal pact between the concerned ministries and the DOST Agency, following the ASAN format, would enable the officials of Pakistan to closely examine the model and apply it as per its local needs.

A Partnership that is Human Face

Azerbaijan-Pakistan relationship has always been in terms of a brotherhood. In this, the brotherhood which has come forth through the cooperation of ASAN has already proven how it can be made to deliver tangible gains to the common man. Bringing the partnership to DOST would take the partnership into the heart of the people most in need of the state: the widow waiting for a pension, the young graduate looking for a job, the family who relies on assistance to get by.

The experience of Azerbaijan shows that social protection can be efficient and compassionate. But if Pakistan learns the lesson with commitment and care, it can create a system where each and every citizen comes out with what the word DOST promises: a friend, at the door of the State.