Digital Nation Pakistan Bill Clears Senate Committee

The Digital Nation Pakistan Bill on Monday received majority approval from the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom.

The committee also debated amendments to Section 7 in the bill proposed by one lawmaker. While said section initially received approval from four members, Senator Nadeem Bhutto’s disapproval caused the original text to remain unchanged.

The Digital Nation Pakistan Bill envisages the establishment of a 17-member National Digital Commission, which includes the Prime Minister as chair, chief ministers from each province, federal ministers, and heads of key institutions such as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

This commission will oversee the development and implementation of a National Digital Master Plan, coordinating among government bodies for digital transformation. The bill establishes the Pakistan Digital Authority, which will implement the plan with a chairman and members appointed by the Prime Minister for four years.

Criticism against Digital Nation Pakistan Bill

The Digital Nation Pakistan Bill had previously come under criticism from lawmakers, including Leader of Opposition Omar Ayub, who said it could adversely impact press freedom and civil liberties.

“Fifty-six percent of Pakistanis lack access to the internet or digital literacy, and this bill disproportionately affects these marginalized groups,” Omar Ayub wrote in his letter to the National Assembly.

Recalling Pakistan’s recent trouble with the internet, the opposition leader said the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill would only exacerbate those issues, adding that such measures would hinder the growth of a free and open digital society in Pakistan.