Pakistan's leap towards digital ID and NDEL

Improving security, curbing identity theft and creating an infrastructure of trust are high on every government's digital agenda. Around the world, countries such as Estonia, Singapore, Australia and the UAE have already embraced Digital Identity (Digital ID) systems, transforming how citizens access government and private services securely. These models show that Digital ID is not just a technological innovation; it is the foundation of transparent governance and inclusive growth.

As a legal consultant engaged under the World Bank's Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP), I had the privilege of authoring Pakistan's Digital ID Regulations, 2025, and the National Data Exchange Layer (NDEL) Regulations, 2025, the world's first comprehensive legal frameworks regulating Digital ID and its technological foundation, NDEL. Drafting these legal frameworks has reinforced my conviction that a secure and inclusive Digital ID system is essential to Pakistan's digital future.

Pakistan stands at a decisive point in its digital transformation. A secure, interoperable and citizen-centric Digital ID framework is no longer a luxury; it is a strategic necessity. Without it, we cannot achieve financial inclusion, efficient service delivery or data-driven governance.

Under DEEP, NADRA has been entrusted with designing and developing both the Digital ID and the NDEL frameworks, a bold step toward building a digitally connected Pakistan. A Digital ID will serve as a "single source of truth" about an individual's identity, eliminating the need to repeatedly present physical documents for verification. Importantly, its human-centred design ensures inclusivity by allowing those with low digital literacy or limited connectivity to authenticate themselves through simple, offline methods.

In Estonia, citizens use their Digital ID for voting, healthcare and banking. Singapore's SingPass enables access to hundreds of public and private services through one secure login. The UAE's Digital ID, linked to facial recognition, allows remote authentication, while Australia's myGovID integrates tax, health and education access. These systems illustrate how a robust Digital ID can build national efficiency, reduce fraud and create digital trust.

In Pakistan, NDEL — a secure and standardised platform enabling responsible, transparent and real-time data sharing between public and private entities - will provide the backbone for this transformation. It will replace fragmented systems and duplicate databases with a unified digital nexus of connectivity. Built with consent-based data sharing and transaction logging, NDEL will ensure that citizens remain in control of their personal information.

Imagine a student applying for a scholarship, a business renewing a permit or a household updating records, all completed digitally, seamlessly and securely without paperwork or physical visits. This is the future that Digital ID and NDEL aim to unlock.

The Digital ID, managed by NADRA, will link every citizen and resident to their foundational identity and be accessible via the PAK ID mobile application, a secure personal digital vault for credentials and documents. This will enable paperless verification for a range of services, including driving licences, educational certificates, insurance records and vaccination cards, among others.

To ensure integrity and security across this ecosystem, a comprehensive Trust Framework will guide the operation of all participants, from regulators and service providers to requesting entities. It establishes uniform standards for consent, privacy, interoperability and cybersecurity, ensuring that every digital interaction between citizens, businesses and the state is safe, transparent and accountable. These embed privacy-by-design principles, consent, purpose limitation and data minimisation, ensuring that personal data is handled responsibly and transparently.

Pakistan's Digital ID and NDEL represent more than a technological upgrade; they are the building blocks of digital sovereignty and public trust. They will redefine how citizens engage with the state, empower businesses through interoperability and establish a culture of transparency across governance.