Pakistan’s National Data Governance Policy 2026 has moved from draft to its final stage following a high level consultation held in Islamabad, chaired by Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja. The session was organized by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication in collaboration with the Pakistan Digital Authority, bringing together senior officials from federal ministries, provincial governments and public sector organizations to review the draft policy.
The Pakistan Digital Authority presented the policy framework during the consultation, describing it as a comprehensive structure for how the government manages, protects and shares data, given its position as the country’s largest holder of data. Stakeholders in attendance shared feedback covering data governance principles, legal alignment, interoperability between institutions, and practical considerations around implementation, input the authority intends to incorporate before finalizing the policy.
Pakistan Digital Authority Chairperson Dr. Sohail Munir explained how the policy connects to the National Digital Masterplan, supporting sector wide digital transformation and the continued development of Digital Public Infrastructure. He also clarified what the policy does not do, stating that it does not propose unrestricted data sharing and does not centralize government data under a single authority. Instead, ownership and protection of data remain with the institution that already holds the record. Secure exchange between institutions will instead be enabled through WASL, Pakistan’s National Data Exchange Layer, governed by clear data classification standards intended to protect sensitive information while allowing structured interoperability.
The Pakistan Digital Authority will now incorporate feedback gathered during the consultation into the draft before finalizing the policy, with the eventual framework expected to include a phased implementation plan alongside capacity building initiatives for the institutions involved. Officials described the policy as an effort to clarify where data stewardship and accountability sit within government, framing it as a foundational step for how Pakistan’s public sector manages an increasingly large and interconnected body of citizen and institutional data going forward.
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