ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Monday tabled the ‘Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2024’ in the National Assembly, the lower house of the country’s parliament to centralise social, economic, and governance data.
Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja presented the bill in the parliament.
The Bill recognises the potential of digital technologies to drive innovation, economic growth, and societal well-being, aims to enhance sustainable development, accelerate public service delivery, and modernise governance for improved transparency and effectiveness.
The minister while presenting the bill said the government would introduce new 4G and 5G spectrums to address internet speed issues which would also help resolve a major challenge faced by freelancers and IT professionals.
As per the bill, key governance bodies — the National Digital Commission (NDC), Strategic Oversight Committee (SOC) and the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) — will be setup.
The NDC, chaired by the Prime Minister and consisting of both federal and provincial leaders, will set the strategic vision and policy framework for the country’s digital transformation.
The PDA, on the other hand, will be responsible for implementing these policies by coordinating and harmonising digital initiatives at all levels of government. The SOC will oversee the PDA’s performance, providing an independent review to the NDC to ensure alignment with the overall masterplan.
A key component of the bill is the National Digital Masterplan, which outlines a comprehensive strategy to align and optimise digital initiatives, eliminate redundancies across federal, provincial, and local levels, and foster economic growth through improved public service delivery.
The masterplan’s implementation plan will specify the required projects, resources, timelines, and risk management strategies to ensure effective execution.
Authorities say the measures are designed to deter militants and other suspects who use VPNs to hide their identities and spread “anti-state propaganda” or promote “blasphemous” and other illegal content online.
The bill also underscores the importance of effective data governance to ensure secure and responsible data management. It prioritises the development of digital public infrastructure and a data exchange layer to foster innovation.
The government is also moving to implement a nationwide firewall to block malicious content, protect government networks from attacks, and allow the government to identify IP addresses associated with what it calls “anti-state propaganda” and terror attacks.
