No more long queues as govt set to create national digital identity for citizens via new bill

• Digital Nation Pakistan Act to be tabled in lower house on Monday.
• Will set up National Digital Commission, Pakistan Digital Authority.
• Legislation would provide access to various records via digital wallet.

As the world strives to achieve a higher and improved level of digitisation across the field, the incumbent government is set to table a new bill aiming to create a digital identity for every citizen, The News reported on Saturday.

Senior government officials have revealed that the Digital Nation Pakistan Act will be tabled in the National Assembly on Monday as part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's national digital agenda spanning economy, society, and governance.

The prospective legislation, as per the sources close to the framing of the Act, will provide seamless access to critical services ranging from birth certificates to health records.

The plan involves establishing two key bodies: a National Digital Commission, which will be headed by the prime minister and includes all four chief ministers, heads of major data-rich organisations like the State Bank, the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and a Pakistan Digital Authority which would be led by top industry experts.

Together, the commission and authority will develop a masterplan to serve as a blueprint for national digitisation.

Sector-specific digitisation masterplans will also be created, shared with relevant ministries, and made public to engage the private sector, which is expected to lead and benefit most from the digitisation agenda.

The primary objective of the legislation, as per the officials, was to enable "cradle to grave" solutions via a digital identity for every citizen.

This would mean having access to birth certificates, educational records, health records, land records, assets, businesses, police certifications and identity cards via digital wallets which would eliminate long queues for services like degree attestation and passport applications.

The proposed digital infrastructure will enable unprecedented data interoperability, according to government sources. For instance, they explained that tax authorities (FBR) would automatically receive information about property purchases, while healthcare providers could access patient records through standardised digital channels.

Officials emphasised that only relevant data would be accessible, with a strong focus on data privacy and security.

On the economic front, the initiative aims to create a cashless economy through digital wallet payments. Government sources explained that this would help formalise the grey economy, increase transparency, and improve government revenues.

Citizens will develop digital financial histories, potentially making it easier to access bank loans and receive government incentives.

Digital governance is another vital component, with officials revealing that the federal government has already transitioned 65% of its operations to electronic offices.

A senior official explained that a new dashboard will provide the prime minister with real-time access to departmental files, dramatically improving governmental accountability.

When questioned whether this was a move to mine mass surveillance data, a senior official said the project draws inspiration from successful digital transformation models in countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India, Estonia, and Singapore.

"We absolutely do not want this project to be interpreted as some kind of surveillance effort," said the official.

"Digital rights organisations will be engaged to ensure any such concerns are alleviated. We want to bridge digital divides, not just between Pakistan and the rest of the world, but also within Pakistan," he added.

The civic lab will focus on AI-based startups in sectors like healthcare, educational technology, agricultural technology, and climate change resilience.

Funding for this massive undertaking was obtained by a $78 million World Bank project known as Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP). Its implementation has been planned for January end.