The government has introduced a bill in the lower house aimed at transforming Pakistan into a digital nation with “a digital society, a digital economy and digital governance”.

The bill titled “Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, 2024” proposes to establish key governance bodies – the National Digital Commission (NDC), the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) and the Strategic Oversight Committee (SOC) – to create “a digital system focused on the future”. Company”.

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

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

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

The NDC will prescribe policy, provide governance and ensure necessary coordination among federal, provincial and sectoral agencies to achieve the goals of a digital nation and align 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.

He has the administrative and financial powers necessary to carry out his functions, including the power to enter into agreements and contracts; manage and use funds; acquire, hold and dispose of movable and immovable property.

The authority is composed of a president and two members appointed by the Prime Minister. The CND may, upon reasoned request from the authority, increase or decrease the number of its members, up to a limit of five members.

The Prime Minister will appoint the President and members each for a term of four years and each will be eligible for re-election for a maximum additional term.

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

The blueprint will provide a comprehensive strategy to align and optimize digital initiatives, eliminate redundancies at the federal, provincial and local levels, and drive economic growth through better public service delivery.

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

It will form 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) will monitor the performance of the PDA and provide an independent review to the NDC ensuring alignment with the master plan.

Under the proposed law, a National Digital Fund will be created. This shall be a non-revolving fund invested in and administered and controlled by the authority to meet expenses relating to the functions and operations of the authority under this Act.

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

The bill further emphasizes effective data governance to ensure secure and responsible data management and prioritizes the development of a digital public infrastructure and data exchange layer to enable data sharing. innovation, improve public services and protect the privacy of citizens.

According to the Statement of Objectives and Reasons of the Bill, the enactment of this legislation reflects Pakistan’s commitment to responsibly harnessing digital technologies for economic growth, modern governance and digital inclusion, thereby aligning the nation on global best practices in the digital age.

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

“Recognizing the potential of digital technologies to drive innovation, economic growth and societal well-being, the Bill aims to accelerate sustainable development, improve public service delivery and modernize governance to improve transparency and efficiency,” he adds.

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

Shaza said 70% of the firm’s operations are already managed through e-governance, highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to leveraging technology for sustainable progress and progress.

The minister highlighted the importance of protecting children in the digital space, citing international examples such as Australian legislation regulating children’s use of social media and US child protection laws. She called for collective efforts to ensure a safe digital environment for young people.

She said that Pakistan was ranked among the top tiers of the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024 due to the efforts of various departments including FIA, Ministry of Defense and Defense Forces. order.

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

She said more than 1.1 million laptops were provided to talented students of public universities during the tenure of PML-N under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif.

“Affordable and easy-to-pay smartphones will be made available to all citizens. Local production of smartphones has reached 14 million units, and there are plans to export these devices,” she said .

WITH INPUT FROM THE APPLICATION