ISLAMABAD – The federal government has formally established the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) under the Digital Nation Bill and appointed its chairperson and one member.
According to the Cabinet Division’s notifications dated August 19, Dr Sohail Munir has been appointed as the authority’s chairperson, while Dr Muhammad J. Sear has been named as one of the two members.
Both were appointed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on a five-year contract under the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication. The second member will be appointed later.
The PDA is one of three new bodies created through the Digital Nation Bill, which was approved by the federal cabinet in June.
The authority will work on the national digital master plan, focusing on developing, implementing and monitoring digital transformation projects. It will also create a framework to evaluate and monitor these projects.
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The Digital Nation Bill aims to build a digital identity for Pakistani citizens, centralising data related to social, economic and governance matters. Its goal is to move Pakistan towards a digital society, digital economy and digital governance.
Dr Sohail Munir is described as a “digital futurist” and expert in government digital transformation. He is currently serving as an adviser to the Abu Dhabi government in the UAE. Dr Muhammad J. Sear, also a specialist in digital transformation, is the CEO of a UAE-based well-being startup, Simpli Human, and has experience working with both governments and the private sector.
In June, the prime minister had approved a search and selection committee for PDA appointments, headed by Federal Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
The authority will also coordinate with stakeholders, review digital projects, prepare a national data strategy, set up a data governance framework, and recommend standards for cloud infrastructure use in the public sector.
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