The Punjab government has launched the third phase of the Punjab Archives Digitization Project to preserve historical records and expand public access to the province’s documentary heritage.

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

Officials said the first two phases of the project have already been completed. During these phases, more than 1.1 million historical documents were converted into digital format.

Under the third phase, another 825,000 archival records will be digitized using modern scanning technology.

All digitized material has been made available on the official Punjab Archives website, 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 instructed officials to further improve the website’s user interface to make it easier for users to access historical material.

Officials also informed the meeting that the project aims to protect Punjab’s documentary heritage from deterioration while preserving it in accordance with international archival standards.