Pakistan Digital Authority to Oversee the Country’s First National Data Governance Policy

Pakistan has taken a significant step in its digital transformation journey with the proposed National Data Governance Policy 2026, developed by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.

The proposed policy names the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) as the country’s national authority for data governance. Under this policy, PDA can issue binding directions to ministries, departments, and public-sector organizations to ensure compliance with data governance standards. Under the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025, the PDA will oversee the implementation of this policy across all federal public bodies, and the policy authorises the PDA to conduct audits and order corrective actions.

For the first time, the country has a comprehensive framework governing how public institutions handle data. The 2026 National Data Governance Policy is built to make life easier for the average citizen, and its effects will be practical and immediate. The policy establishes that government data is not the property of any ministry or department. It is held in trust for the people. Government agencies have a fiduciary duty to protect citizen interests when handling their data. This is not a guideline; it is an obligation.

Once this policy is in place, government agencies will not ask citizens to provide information they already hold. One submission across all departments will eliminate redundant paperwork and end the bureaucratic frustration citizens face when dealing with the government. Your data will be consistent across the board and with secure digital pathways, it will take minutes not weeks for government institutions to share data when delivering services to you.

With this draft policy, citizens gain real rights over their data: the right to know what data any government agency holds about them; the right to correct their records; the right to request deletion of data no longer needed; the right to obtain their data in a portable format; and the right to know who has accessed their personal information. More importantly, the policy guarantees that where automated systems make decisions with legal or similarly significant effects on individuals, citizens have the right to meaningful human review.

The policy goes further than most on data protection and security and sets a high bar. Privacy will be embedded into government systems from the outset, not added as an afterthought. All government agencies will be required to use Privacy Enhancing Technologies and apply the minimum disclosure principle: only the data genuinely needed for a specific lawful purpose may be shared. Pakistani government data is sovereign and, as a strategic national asset, it remains under Pakistani law, Pakistani jurisdiction, and Pakistani control.

PDA is at the centre of this framework. The policy proposes the formation of a National Data Governance Council, to be chaired by the Pakistan Digital Authority. The council would include representatives from the federal and provincial governments, regulatory bodies, and other key stakeholders to align and coordinate nationwide data governance efforts. PDA will also introduce and publish a National Data Maturity Index to evaluate data governance practices across public institutions.

The National Data Governance Policy 2026 creates a long awaited framework that treats government data as a national asset that belongs to its people. It is a policy that builds structures that will create trust, by making government institutions more transparent and efficient. The Pakistan Digital Authority is here to make sure that rights are guaranteed, standards are binding and accountability is public.

The draft of the National Data Governance Policy is open for stakeholder feedback until 10 July. Read it at: https://digitaldialogue.gov.pk/login

Approval Code: c022e500