Pakistan Launches Digital Nation Act to Establish National Digital Identity System

Pakistan is advancing its digital transformation agenda with the introduction of the Digital Nation Pakistan Act, which establishes a national digital identity system for citizens. The legislation builds upon the country’s existing digital identity infrastructure, which the World Economic Forum recently highlighted as having become fundamental to everyday life for Pakistani adults.

The new digital identity system will integrate with existing government databases to enable seamless interaction between departments. According to senior government officials, the system will eliminate queues at government offices while incorporating security measures to protect citizens’ personal data. This initiative expands upon recent regional developments, such as the Sindh province’s implementation of biometric verification for vehicle registrations, demonstrating Pakistan’s broader commitment to digital transformation.

Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Finance and Revenue, emphasized the government’s commitment to enhancing connectivity and digital infrastructure to support emerging technologies. “Agriculture and information technology are the backbone of our economy,” said Aurangzeb, “and the real levers of economic growth of the country.”

The initiative includes plans to engage the private sector in driving Pakistan’s development and implementation of digital services. As part of broader e-government efforts, the Pakistan Post Office Department is being categorized as a strategic and essential State-Owned Enterprise, marking a significant shift toward digital service delivery in traditional government institutions.

The digital transformation strategy follows the OASIS framework for transformational government, which focuses on delivering integrated, government-wide services across all channels. The system aims to provide citizen-centric services without additional costs or organizational restructuring, in line with international best practices for digital identity implementation.

While the digital identity system offers potential benefits for service delivery and efficiency, implementation considerations include privacy protections and data security measures for electronic interactions between government and citizens. These security considerations mirror challenges faced by other nations implementing national digital ID systems, such as Nigeria’s recent $83 million modernization initiative for its National Identity Management System.

Sources: Finance.gov.pk, Wikipedia, Geo TV

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December 16, 2024 – by Ji-seo Kim