Govt Will Let Citizens See Who Accessed Their Personal Data

The Government of Pakistan has introduced a new National Data Governance Policy that declares government-held data a strategic national asset while giving citizens expanded rights over the personal information held by public institutions.

These new rights will let citizens see their personal data held by the government, including who accessed it and why.

Issued by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the policy creates a nationwide framework for how government data is collected, shared, protected, stored, and disposed of. It applies to all federal ministries, departments, statutory bodies, public-sector organisations, as well as contractors and partners that handle government data.

Citizens Get New Rights

One of the biggest changes introduced by the policy is a set of new rights for citizens regarding the personal data held by government institutions.

Citizens will have the right to know what personal information the government holds about them. They can also request details about who accessed their data, when it was accessed, and the reason for the access.

People will also be able to request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete records, ask for their personal data to be deleted in specified circumstances, and obtain their information in structured, machine-readable formats.

The policy also requires government agencies to provide accessible complaint and redress mechanisms for citizens.

Government Data to Be Held in Trust

Under the new policy, government data will no longer be treated as the property of individual departments. Instead, public institutions will act as custodians of data held in trust for citizens.

Government agencies will be responsible for ensuring data is accurate, secure, used lawfully, and shared in a controlled manner across the public sector.

The policy also introduces a “once-only” principle to reduce bureaucracy. This means citizens should not have to repeatedly provide the same information to different government departments if it is already available through authorised government systems.

Stricter Privacy Rules

The new framework places strict conditions on how personal data can be processed.

Consent must be specific, informed, and capable of being withdrawn. The policy also introduces stronger protections for sensitive personal information and children’s data.

Government agencies will also be required to build privacy protections into the design of digital systems and services from the start.

PDA to Oversee Implementation

The Pakistan Digital Authority will oversee the implementation of the policy. It will establish a National Data Governance Council and monitor compliance across federal government institutions.

According to officials, the policy is intended to strengthen digital governance, improve public service delivery, protect citizens’ privacy, and build public trust as Pakistan continues its digital transformation.