ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister of State for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced a pivotal move for the country’s digital future by introducing legislation for Digital Nation Pakistan in the National Assembly.
“The legislation for Digital Nation Pakistan will be introduced in the National Assembly (NA). We hope it will be passed into law within the next few days, paving the way for the formation of the National Digital Commission,” said Fatima while addressing an event in Islamabad.
She stated that the commission will be led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with all Chief Ministers (CMs) of the four provinces as members, along with the heads of major regulatory bodies in the country, including the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), NADRA, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and other key data pools.
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“The commission will be succeeded by a Pakistan Digital Authority, which will establish a robust and comprehensive national framework and a master plan blueprint for national digitization, focusing on three verticals: economy, governance, and society.”
“We hope that the creation of a unified digital identity for every citizen of Pakistan will set us on the path to unlocking the true potential of this country,” said Shaza.
The federal minister was optimistic that, within the next year, several anticipated developments would greatly enhance the health of the country’s technology sector.
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“In the coming years, we expect a substantial increase in investment in technology infrastructure.”
In April 2024, the government plans to auction spectrum, including 5G and 4G. “This will result in a significant improvement in internet services,” Shaza said.
“Assuming everything goes well, we must acknowledge that in Pakistan, internet speed is likely not as it should be, which affects our freelancers and the industry,” she noted.
