Senate Committee Passes Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025

The Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom on Monday passed the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025 with four votes in favor and two against.

The committee also debated amendments to Section 7 in the bill proposed by one lawmaker. Although four members initially supported the amendments, Senator Nadeem Bhutto later retracted his vote after expressing doubts about the section.

Due to the withdrawal, the proposed amendments to Section 7 failed to gain approval, leaving the original text unchanged.

The original bill has been officially passed.

The bill calls for the establishment of a 17-member National Digital Commission, to be headed by the Prime Minister. The commission will include chief ministers of all provinces, federal ministers, and heads of key institutions such as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

Under the bill, the commission will oversee the development and implementation of a National Digital Master Plan aimed at transforming Pakistan into a fully digital nation. The commission will facilitate coordination among government bodies for digital transformation and will have the authority to take action in case of non-compliance with the master plan. Additionally, a Pakistan Digital Authority will be established to implement the plan, with its chairman and members appointed for a four-year term by the Prime Minister.

The bill also proposes the formation of a Strategic Oversight Committee to evaluate the authority’s performance, with the relevant federal minister serving as its chair.