Pakistan unveils 'Digital Nation' bill to modernize government services

Pakistan's Minister of State for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja presented the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2024 to the National Assembly on Monday, a sweeping bill aimed at transforming the country into a digital society.

The legislation, which was approved by the federal cabinet earlier this year, has been referred to a standing committee for further review. If passed, the law would establish new digital governance bodies and modernize everything from hospital records to tax collection in the country.

The Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2024, presented in the National Assembly, seeks to promote digitalization and strengthen the digital economy, guiding Pakistan's transition into a digitally empowered nation.

The bill establishes three key governance bodies: the National Digital Commission (NDC), the Strategic Oversight Committee (SOC), and the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA).

The NDC will be a 17-member commission headed by the Prime Minister and include key officials as members: all provincial chief ministers, the ministers for IT, Planning and Development, Commerce, Finance, and Economic Affairs, as well as the Chairman of FBR, Chairman of PTA, Chairman of SECP, Governor of State Bank, and Chairperson of Pakistan Digital Authority.

The PDA will implement these policies by coordinating and harmonizing digital initiatives across all levels of government, and will be responsible for developing a National Digital Masterplan with assistance from leading global experts.

The National Digital Masterplan, which will provide a comprehensive strategy to align these various digital initiatives, will detail specific projects, required resources, timelines, and risk management strategies to ensure effective execution.

Meanwhile, the SOC will monitor the PDA's performance and provide independent reviews to the NDC to ensure alignment with the Masterplan.

Minister of State for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima told Nuktathat the Digital Nation Act 2024 will align with international standards and benefit ordinary citizens by securely storing and sharing their data across various government platforms.

For example, when a patient visits a government hospital, they will be assigned a unique ID. This ID will store all their medical history and treatment records in one place, helping doctors access comprehensive patient information. Similarly, citizens will be able to maintain digital records of their identity cards and educational credentials. With the digitization of FBR, physical interactions will be minimized as services transition to digital platforms.

The system will enable the FBR to track car purchases, plot registrations, and company registrations automatically. Company registration procedures will be simplified, eliminating bureaucratic hurdles. Citizens will be able to access government services without physically visiting government institutions.

This model has been successfully implemented in various countries including Estonia, Dubai, India, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia, where citizens can access all services using a single digital ID.