When the federal government bulldozed the Digital Nation Pakistan Act through Parliament earlier this year, many hoped it would quietly disappear into legislative oblivion. But that hope, like so many others tied to this government’s digital promises, was misplaced.
Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a search and selection committee to appoint members to the Pakistan Digital Authority, the core institution created under this new law. This marks the beginning of what the government is calling Pakistan’s “national digital transformation.” But given this government’s appalling track record on digital rights, the question is not whether the plan is ambitious or necessary. It is whether it can be trusted.
On paper, the Digital Nation Pakistan Act is not without merit. It outlines a modernisation effort that aims to centralise public services, digitise governance and promote efficiency. The Act follows a global trend toward streamlined digital states, borrowing language and structure from successful international models. It was introduced by Shaza Fatima Khawaja, a capable minister of state for IT, who has both academic and political credentials.
But in practice, it is a law dangerously vague in its provisions and deeply suspect in its intentions. The Pakistan Digital Authority will comprise a chairperson and two members who will not only implement the digital masterplan but also monitor and evaluate all major digital projects across the country. In effect, this small committee will define what Pakistan’s digital future looks like.
And here lies the problem. A law is only as good as the government that implements it. This government has shown nothing but contempt for digital freedoms. It has repeatedly shut down internet access during protests, throttled mobile data, banned platforms like X and presided over some of the largest data breaches in the country’s history. These are not the actions of a state that can be trusted with sweeping digital powers.
It is no surprise, then, that the Act’s broad scope feels less like a roadmap and more like a blank cheque. By keeping key aspects of the law undefined — what constitutes digital threats, who decides digital priorities, how decisions are reviewed — the government has given itself maximum legal cover to interfere with online life under the guise of reform.
This should alarm every citizen. Digital rights are not abstract. They affect everything from how we communicate and organise to how we access information and services. If the Digital Nation Pakistan Act is to serve the public interest, it must include clear safeguards, transparency mechanisms and a commitment to judicial oversight.
Good legislation cannot fix bad governance. The bill may be well-written, but without trust, it will only deepen fears of surveillance, censorship and exclusion. A centralised digital state without strong checks and balances risks becoming an instrument of control rather than progress. That future is not inevitable, but it is dangerously close.
