The federal government tabled the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, 2024, in the National Assembly session on Monday.
The bill — aimed to create a digital identity for citizens, to centralise social, economic, and governance data — was tabled by the Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
Today’s agenda said the legislation would “provide for the transformation of Pakistan into a digital nation, enabling a digital society, digital economy and digital governance”.
The bill was approved by the federal cabinet in June.
According to sources, the government plans to create two new bodies: the National Digital Commission (NDC), headed by the prime minister, including all four chief ministers and heads of organisations like the State Bank, FBR and PTA; and the Pakistan Digital Authority, to be led by top industry experts.
One of the major propositions under the new regime is a digital identity for every citizen. It would include data about an individual’s health, assets and other social indicators.
The bill’s objective, as stated by officials, was to improve access to departments managing ID cards, land records, birth certificates and health records.
The digitisation effort would also target government departments, which will be given goal-oriented plans to improve services.
The new digital ID programme will be along the same lines as the initiatives implemented in the UAE, India and Estonia.
However digital rights experts have called for more clarity on how the government intends to secure the centralised data system.
Bill to ensure unified digital identity for citizens: Shaza
Khawaja said earlier today that the bill would soon be passed by parliament to establish a unified digital identity for citizens, aiming to centralise social, economic and governance data.
Addressing the National Broadband Network (NBN) Forum 2024 Gigabit for All, the minister said the legislation would “enable the transformation of Pakistan into a digital nation, fostering a digital society, digital economy and digital governance”.
The minister said that reliable, high-speed connectivity was an essential necessity for modern life, adding that the government’s digitisation strategy would prioritise three verticals: economy, governance and society, with a unified digital identity for every citizen at its core.
Khawaja said that 70 per cent of cabinet operations were already managed through e-governance, underscoring Pakistan’s commitment to leveraging technology for sustainable advancement and progress.
The minister stressed the importance of protecting children in the digital space, citing international examples such as Australia’s legislation regulating children’s social media usage and the US’s child protection laws.
She urged collective efforts to ensure a safe digital environment for the youth.
She said that Pakistan was ranked among the top tiers in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024 due to the efforts of various departments, including the Federal Investigation Agency, Ministry of Defence and law enforcement agencies.
