Digital Nation Bill 2025 approved by Senate Standing Committee on IT

Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication (IT and Telecom) has approved the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025, with four votes in favor and two against the bill, with Senator Kamran Murtaza and Saifullah Niazi opposing the bill.

According to the details, the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, chaired by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Palwasha Khan, held a meeting at Parliament House.

The meeting considered the single-point agenda Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025. Senator Kamran Murtaza said that he has objections to some sections of the bill, why is this bill being rushed? ‘I have proposed an amendment to Section 7 of the bill. It has been interfered with in favor of the provinces’.

The chairman of the committee stated that they would take the opinion of the officials of the Ministry of Law, to which the officials of the Ministry of Law and Justice said that this subject is already with the federation, and it is using its existing powers.

On the bill, the Secretary of IT and Telecom stated that the commission will be a high-level body, that has to make all decisions. The provinces are getting a share in the commission, and the World Bank has approved $78 million for the Deep project.

Senator Kamran Murtaza said that why the bill was approved on an urgent basis.

Senator Anusha Rehman said that under the Digital Nation, the whole of Pakistan has to become digital, and this agency will take grants from all over the world. Has any mechanism been created to deliver this funding to the provinces?

The Secretary IT said that sectoral plans will be made under the master plan, grants will be given to the provinces for sectoral plans, and the National Digital Commission will decide on the grants for the sectoral plan.

The Chairman Committee asked that in the absence of a Data Protection Bill, how will we move towards a digital Pakistan? If you cannot bring your bill, then hold a public hearing on Senator Afnan's data protection bill.

The IT Secretary told the committee that the IT Ministry is working on the data protection bill, and we are consulting with stakeholders on the data protection bill.

Senator Anusha Rehman stated that NADRA is competing with the IT Ministry in Digital Pakistan. NADRA sells our thumbprints and also provides data in elections for money. This bill also solves this data problem with NADRA, and she fully supported the Digital Nation Bill.

Senator Kamran added that has written opinion been taken from the provinces on the Digital Nation Bill?

Ministry of Law and Justice officials said that the opinion of the provinces was not required on federal subjects. When the Chief Ministers of the provinces appear on the commission, their opinion will be considered on their behalf. After considering the bill, the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom approved the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025.

An interesting situation arose in the voting process on Senator Kamran Murtaza’s amendments to Section 7 in the committee meeting. Four members voted in favor of Senator Kamran Murtaza’s amendments. Senator Nadeem Bhutto first voted in favor and later changed his mind.

He said that he was a little confused and not in favor of the amendments to this section, due to which Senator Murtaza’s amendments to Section 7 could not be approved.