Govt moves bill in NA to digitise nation

The Digital Nation Pakistan Bill aims to digitally empower country.

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ISLAMABAD:

The government has introduced in the lower house a bill seeking the transformation of Pakistan into a digital nation with "a digital society, digital economy, and digital governance".

The bill titled "the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, 2024" proposes establishing key governance bodies — the National Digital Commission (NDC), the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) and the Strategic Oversight Committee (SOC) — to create "a forward-looking digital society".

A digital nation refers to a country or society that has fully embraced digital technology to enhance governance, economy, and public services.

It is characterized by the integration of digital tools and infrastructure across various aspects of life, enabling citizens, businesses, and governments to operate more efficiently and innovatively.

Under the bill, the NDC will set the strategic vision and policy framework for the country's digital transformation. It will be chaired by the prime minister and will comprise 17 members including all the provincial chief ministers as well as the minister for IT.

The NDC will prescribe the policy, provide governance and ensure necessary coordination amongst federal, provincial, and sectoral bodies to achieve the objectives of a digital nation and aligning national digital transformation with economic growth, effective governance and societal development.

The Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) will implement these policies by coordinating and harmonizing digital initiatives across all levels of government.

It shall possess the administrative and financial powers necessary to perform its functions, including the power to enter into agreements and contracts; manage and utilize funds; acquire, hold and dispose of both movable and immovable property.

The authority shall consist of a chairperson and two members to be appointed by the prime minister. The NDC may, upon a justified request from the authority, increase or decrease the number of members, subject to a maximum of five members.

The PM shall appoint the chairperson and members each for a term of four years and each shall be eligible for re-appointment for up to one additional term.

The PDA shall develop and propose to the NDC for approval a comprehensive master plan called the National Digital Masterplan. The masterplan shall be a comprehensive strategic blueprint to transform Pakistan into a digital nation by fostering a digital society, digital economy, and digital governance.

The masterplan shall provide a comprehensive strategy for aligning and optimizing digital initiatives, eliminating redundancies across federal, provincial, and local levels, and driving economic growth through enhanced public service delivery.

The implementation plan under the masterplan will detail specific projects, required resources, timelines, and risk management strategies to ensure its effective execution.

It shall be the central framework guiding digital initiatives, regulatory standards, and guidelines, ensuring a unified digital agenda, eliminating redundancy and maximizing resource efficiency.

The Strategic Oversight Committee (SOC) shall monitor the PDA's performance and provide an independent review to the NDC ensuring alignment with the masterplan.

Under the proposed law, a Digital Nation Fund shall be created. It will be a non-lapsable fund vesting in and to be administered and controlled by the authority for meeting expenses in connection with the functions and operations of the authority under this act.

The Digital Nation Fund shall, subject to the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, 2019,

The bill further emphasizes effective data governance to ensure secure and responsible data management and prioritizes the development of digital public infrastructure and data exchange layer to foster innovation, enhance public services, and safeguard citizen privacy.

According to the bill's statement of objectives and reason, the enactment of this legislation reflects Pakistan's commitment to responsibly leveraging digital technologies for economic growth, modern governance, and digital inclusion, aligning the nation with global best practices in the digital age.

"The Digital Nation Pakistan Act, 2024, aims to transform Pakistan into a digitally empowered nation by fostering a dynamic digital society, a robust digital economy, and efficient digital governance.

"Recognizing the potential of digital technologies to drive innovation, economic growth, and societal well-being, the bill seeks to accelerate sustainable development, enhance public service delivery, and modernize governance for improved transparency and effectiveness," it added.

Addressing the National Broadband Network (NBN) Forum 2024 — Gigabit for All on Monday, Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the government's digitization strategy will prioritize three verticals: economy, governance, and society, with a unified digital identity for every citizen at its core.

Shaza said 70% of cabinet operations are 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 like 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 has been ranked among the top tiers in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024 due to the efforts of various departments, including the FIA, Ministry of Defence, and law enforcement agencies.

She credited the government for stabilizing the economy, strengthening the currency, and reducing inflation and interest rates. She highlighted that these positive economic indicators had encouraged investments in technology infrastructure.

She said over 1.1 million laptops had been provided to talented public university students during the PML-N's tenure under Shehbaz Sharif's leadership.

"Affordable smart-phones on easy installments would be made available to all citizens. Local production of smart-phones had reached 14 million units, with plans to export these devices," she said.

WITH INPUT FROM APP