Senate Committee to Review Digital Nation Pakistan Bill on January 27

Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology is set to deliberate on the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill on Monday, January 27, 2025. The meeting, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, will convene at 11 AM at the Parliament House. The primary agenda is to review and potentially approve the proposed legislation.

Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunications, proposed the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill to the National Assembly during the last legislative session as part of Pakistan’s digital transformation strategy. The bill would develop a unified digital identification system that combines social data, economic information, and governance indicators to create a dynamic digital community and modern governance standards.

The Digital Nation Pakistan Bill establishes 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.

The National Assembly approved the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025 on Tuesday. The government expects to get quick approval during the upcoming Senate committee meeting. Representatives on the committee, as well as those from the administration, have been directed to attend the session to expedite passage of the law. Supporters argue that the bill will help to construct a digitally unified Pakistan, but opponents remain skeptical of its approach.