Pakistan Reader

CWA # 535
Pakistan Reader
Digital Pakistan: Idea, Potential and Challenges

Apoorva Sudhakar
17 August 2021
Photo Source: Dawn

While the leadership has been pushing for a "Digital Pakistan" over the years, the process has remained slow due to several gaps that are yet to be addressed.

In August 2021, Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi addressed the Digital Government Summit organized by the Ministry of IT & Telecom. The official Twitter handle of the President quoted him from the summit, wherein he said, "Well-timed digitization can catapult Pakistan to progress." He outlined the importance of data analysis in decision-making processes in the future. 

Prior to this, in March, the Federal Minister for IT said, "Pakistan is on the verge of digital revolution as we see progress happening in the country on a daily basis..." Initiating the Digital Pakistan 2021 Policy, he said the policy aims at "citizen empowerment and economic prosperity" of the country. The Minister was right in saying so as Pakistan's digital footprint has been on the rise and is likely to expand further. ("'Digital Pakistan Policy 2021 Road Show'," Business Recorder, 25 March 2021)

The Idea of "Digital Pakistan"
The concept of "Digital Pakistan" is not new and was introduced in 2017, focusing on access and connectivity, digital infrastructure, e-government services, digital skills and training, and entrepreneurship. Approved by the then federal cabinet under the PML-N in May 2018, the policy aimed to boost the IT sector and enhance the infrastructural and institutional facilities. The policy was approved, in light of the Economic Survey 2016-17, which highlighted that Pakistan's IT sector had generated USD 3.3 billion revenue. Therefore, a dedicated policy as Digital Pakistan was welcomed by the sector. However, the approval of the policy took place weeks prior to the 2018 elections; subsequently, other political parties launched their own plans for the sector in their elections manifestos. ("Digital Pakistan," Dawn, 29 May 2018) (Ramsha Jahangir, "Situationer: The 'Digital Pakistan' challenge," Dawn, 3 January 2020)

The PTI launched its draft digital policy which promised an investment worth USD two billion in the IT sector. The party projected its policy as a solution to corruption, debt, and unemployment. (Jamal Shahid, "PTI will invest $2bn in IT sector under digital policy," Dawn, 4 July 2018) Dawn explains that following the PTI, the PPP launched its own proposed approach to the IT sector, but failed to include an action plan on the same. (Asra Rizwan, "What tech-centric policies are political parties offering in their election manifestos?," Dawn, 18 July 2018)

Imran Khan and the new Vision
In 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the "Digital Pakistan Vision." He said the Vision had been "designed for the government and the private sector to work towards a digitally progressive and inclusive Pakistan." At the time, he expressed regrets that he had not given due importance to Digital Pakistan but was confident that the youth and women would be able to benefit from the initiative. He also outlined the importance of e-governance and e-commerce, claiming, "The country will experience a quantum leap ahead." ("'Full potential of youth, women will be unleashed,' says PM on launch of Digital Pakistan Vision," Dawn, 5 December 2019)

The 2021 policy is a revamp of all the above. In the financial year 2020-21, for the first time, IT exports crossed the USD two billion mark and recorded a 47.4 per cent increase; IT exports for the year were recorded at USD 2.12 billion against the USD 1.44 billion in the financial year 2019-20. ("IT exports cross record $2bn mark," Dawn, 27 July 2021) One reason behind this could be rapid adaptation to the digital space in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Further, the positive development in the export figures indicate that the foreign players see potential in Pakistan's digital arena. (Irfan Wahab Khan, "Realizing a Digital Pakistan," Dawn, 13 December 2020)

The potential of Digital Pakistan
An opinion in Daily Times says that Pakistan is in a position to play a key role in the global economy within a decade because of the country's improvement in the digital arena. The author estimates the above by reasoning that over 100 million people of Pakistan's 220 million-strong population has the potential to explore the global economy in the decade. The author says these avenues have been strengthened by various policy initiatives, including Digital Pakistan. Further, around 70 per cent of the population has access to the internet; the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority's latest figures indicate that over 90 million Pakistanis avail 3G/4G services. This is expected to boost innovation and job creation among the population. (Julian Gorman, "Pakistan's digital transformation," The Daily Times, 30 July 2021) ("Digital Transformation: A growing landscape in Pakistan," The News International, 27 March 2020) (Huzaima Bukhari & Dr Ikramul Haq, "Morbid taxation of digital Pakistan," The News International, 23 May 2021)

Meanwhile, Tania Aidrus, who had been the face of Digital Pakistan, outlines five avenues that could help realize the idea of a Digital Pakistan. These include a digital identity or "universal biometric digital identity"; a digital data which is a "digital repository of personal data and records"; digital signatures; digital payments and lastly, digital services for personalized services. (Tania Aidrus, "Decoding Digitisation," Dawn, 12 June 2021)

Similarly, Atta-Ur-Rehman, in an opinion, listed out several initiatives to bring the digital to the mainstream, including reducing the price of bandwidth, formulating a National IT policy in 2000, expanding fiber access across cities and setting up IT universities. Later, under PM Imran Khan's governance beginning 2018, three PM task forces IT and Telecom, Science and Technology and Knowledge Economy were formed to enhance Pakistan's digital capacity. (Atta-Ur-Rahman, "A digital Pakistan," The News International, 11 December 2021)

Realizing Digital Pakistan: Three Challenges
However, as promising as the above initiatives and suggestions seem, Pakistan is yet to address certain gaps. 

First, technical challenges and lack of a long-term vision. This includes the need to ensure cybersecurity, better undertaking of public sector automation, need for a long-term commitment instead of framing policies for short-term outcomes, and balancing between digital priorities and traditional businesses. (Muhammad Umar, "Points to note for a national digital policy," Dawn, 29 January 2018) Aidrus also opines that isolated achievements do not contribute to the larger aim of Digital Pakistan unless there is a broad and sustained pursual of the goal. She highlights that digitization and enhancement of, say, a start-up culture, cannot be initiated by the schemes alone and calls for "bold reforms by the State Bank, the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan and the Federal Board of Revenue."

Second, increased curbs on digital freedom. Recent measures like introduction of taxes on mobile calls and internet are likely to deter people's move towards digitization. Aidrus tweeted that "taxing the internet further is regressive" which will impede the Digital Pakistan initiative. Furthermore, new rules under the PECA and PEMRA, and bans on apps like TikTok do not operate in favour of digitization and could prevent further foreign investors from exploring Pakistan's digital market. Such moves also reflect the government's overarching methods to monitor a common Pakistani's digital activities and raises concerns over data protection and privacy, thereby jeopardizing its own vision. 

Third, the social challenges.  Access to the digital space is unequal; though millions have access to the internet, the population is largely digitally illiterate. Therefore, there is a divide between different classes of society, between the privileged and marginalized. This transcends to a gender divide as well. For example, access to mobile wallets is restricted wherein there is a "38 percent gender gap in mobile phone ownership (the highest in South Asia) and a 49 per cent gender gap in internet usage." Further, Pakistan also has a poor performance record on the Economist Intelligence Unit's Inclusive Internet Index and ranks at the bottom in Asian countries. The pandemic exposed these differences; an opinion says, "Digital access remains heavily reliant on income levels, geographic locations and gender…" (Aliza Amin, "Technology: Towards a real Digital Pakistan," Dawn, 6 June 2021) (Amber Darr, "The digital divide," Dawn, 17 December 2020)

A few suggestions by experts to achieve the goals of Digital Pakistan include making digital access a fundamental right, promoting digital literacy, digitization of the government and public sector, engaging with the private sector to develop the country's digital ecosystem, addressing the gender gap and rethinking the "regressive levies" and lastly, envisioning a long-term strategy. Therefore, unless the required measures are not taken, the grand policies showcased will remain static without translating into reality; this is because promoting "Digital Pakistan" is not a solution "if digital Pakistan remains beyond the reach of most Pakistanis." 

Note: Parts of this PR Insight were published in a short note on the PR Evening Briefs here.


About the author
Apoorva Sudhakar is a Research Associate at the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bangalore. As part of her research for Pakistan Reader, she studies issues relating to the environment, gender, minorities, and ethnic movements in Pakistan.


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R Preetha

Africa as the Hunger Epicenter
Of the 13 Global Hunger Hotspots, 8 are in Africa: Five reasons why
The World This Week
July 2025 | CWA # 1748

GP Team

The World This Week #318
PM Modi’s Visit to Trinidad and Tobago & Ghana, One big beautiful bill, and Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting
Global Politics Explainer
July 2025 | CWA # 1744

Chittrothu Vaihali

EU-Canada Summit 2025
What is security and defence partnership all about?
Conflict Weekly
July 2025 | CWA # 1742

IPRI Team

Conflict Weekly # 287-88
The 12 Day War and the Congo-Rwanda Peace Deal
Global Politics Explainer
July 2025 | CWA # 1738

Fleur Elizabeth Philip

Thailand and Cambodia
What was the phone call between PM Shinawatra and President of Senate Hun Sen? What is the border dispute between the two? Why has this become an issue?
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1735

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025:
Trump making Europe great again
The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1734

GP Team

The World This Week #317
NATO Summit 2025 and Russia-Mali bilateral agreements
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1733

Ananya Dinesh

China and the Pacific Islands 
What was the recent China-PIC joint statement about? What it says, and what it means?
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1728

M Kejia

G7 Summit 2025:
The Focus on the Middle East and Trade negotiations
The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1726

GP Team

The World This Week #316
China-Central Asia Summit in Kazakhstan, and the G7 Summit in Canada
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1725

Brighty Ann Sarah, R Preetha, Santhiya M, Aparna A Nair & M Kejia

Operation Midnight Hammer: US bombs three nuclear sites in Iran
What were the three Iranian nuclear sites that were targeted? What are the B2 Bombers and Bunker Buster Bombs? What do these attacks mean? What Next?
Conflict Weekly
June 2025 | CWA # 1724

IPRI Team

Conflict Weekly #286
The Spiralling Israel-Iran Crisis, and the Dangerous Hunger Hotspots
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1721

Rizwana Banu S and Santhiya M

Who are the Afrikaners?
Why is Trump interested in the Afrikaner question in South Africa?
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1720

Lekshmi MK

New WMO Report on Arctic Warming
What are the social, economic and environmental implications of Arctic warming
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1719

J Yamini  

China’s EV Surge
What contributes to the rise of BYD
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1717

J Yamini

Gender Violence in Pakistan:
What are the larger issues in the Noor Mukadam case?
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1715

Femy Francis

The US-China:
On Tariffs, Rare Earths and Visas
The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1713

GP Team

The World This Week #315
The UN Ocean Conference in France and the US-China Meeting in London
CW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1712

R Preetha

The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1705

GP Team

The World This Week #314
Elections in South Korea and Poland I China and the Pacific Island Countries I Bangladesh Election Announcement 2026
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1703

M Kejia 

Sagarmatha Sambaad in Nepal
Kathmandu’s Global Agenda for the Himalayas
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1700

R Preetha

Ethiopia bans the TPLF
What does the TPLF ban mean for the Pretoria agreement? What next for Ethiopia?
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1694

Aashish Ganeshan

The US:
Harvard vs Trump Administration
The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1691

GP Team

The World This Week #313
China-ASEAN-GCC Summit I President Macron's visit to South East Asia I Trump Vs Harvard
The World This Week
May 2025 | CWA # 1690

GP Team

The World This Week #312
Elections in Romania, Portugal & Poland I UK-EU Summit
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1689

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine
Continuing Russia’s Aerial Attacks, despite exchange of prisoners
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1688

Ayan Datta

Gaza
The Humanitarian Crisis and Israel’s Renewed Offensive
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1685

Aparna A Nair

UK-EU Summit:
First step towards a reset
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1683

Aashish Ganeshan

Elections in Portugal:
The Rise of Chega Party and the Search for Political Stability
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1679

Aashish Ganeshan

US in the Middle Easr
Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1678

Gauri Gupta

China in Latin America
China-CELAC forum: Strengthening ties with Latin America and Caribbean
The World This Week
May 2025 | CWA # 1677

GP Team

The World This Week #310-311
China in Latin America and the Carribbean I Trump's Middle East Visit I Denmark as the new Arctic Chair
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1675

Lekshmi MK

Turkey:
PKK disbands after 40 years of armed insurgency
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1673

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine:
The Discussion in Turkiye and the Elusive Ceasefire
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1671

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

US, Ukraine and Russia:
Air attacks amidst a Minerals deal and Ceasefire Proposals
Global Politics Early Bird
May 2025 | CWA # 1670

Fleur Elizabeth Philip

Singapore Elections in 2025:
People’s Action Party (PAP) Wins, Again
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1667

R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah

East Asia:
Tough Tariff Negotiations with the US
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1666

Padmashree Anandhan

The US-Ukraine
The mineral deal with the US
Conflict Weekly
May 2025 | CWA # 1665
Conflict Weekly # 280-81
India-Pakistan De-escalation I Ukraine Discussion in Istanbul I The Battle over Port Sudan I Disbanding of PKK in Turkiye I France-Algeria Diplomatic Tensions
Global Politics Early Bird
May 2025 | CWA # 1663

R Preetha

Canada Elections 2025:
What do the results convey? What next for Mark Carney?
Conflict Weekly 250th Issue
October 2024 | CWA # 1480

IPRI Team

This Week in History
July 2024 | CWA # 1413

Ramya B

Global Politics Early Bird
May 2024 | CWA # 1336

Femy Francis

This Week in History
April 2024 | CWA # 1275

Ramya B

NIAS Global Politics Database
March 2024 | CWA # 1251

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
This Week in History
March 2024 | CWA # 1246

Sivasubramanian K

NIAS Global Politics Database
February 2024 | CWA # 1226

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
The World This Week
November 2023 | CWA # 1148

GP Team

The War in Ukraine
October 2023 | CWA # 1091

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri

Issues for Europe
NIAS Pakistan Weekly
October 2023 | CWA # 1087

PR Team

The World This Week
October 2023 | CWA # 1083

GP Team

Conflict Weekly
August 2023 | CWA # 1049

IPRI Team

IPRI Quarterly Forecasts I Triggers, Trends, and Trajectories
July 2023 | CWA # 1012

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar continues to burn
The World This Week
July 2023 | CWA # 1009

GP Team

2022: The World This Year
December 2022 | CWA # 879

Padmashree Anandhan

The Ukraine War
2022: The World This Year
December 2022 | CWA # 872

Sapna Elsa Abraham

Europe: Heatwaves, Wildfires, Droughts, and Ice Melt in Alps
November 2022 | CWA # 838

Rishma Banerjee

Tracing Europe's droughts
NIAS Africa Weekly
March 2022 | CWA # 705

NIAS Africa Team

In Focus: Libya
The World This Week: 150th Issue
December 2021 | CWA # 630

GP Team

Europe in 2021
Pakistan Reader
October 2021 | CWA # 588

Abigail Miriam Fernandez

TLP is back again
NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations
August 2021 | CWA # 528

STIR Team

Space Tourism
GLOBAL PROTEST MOVEMENTS
September 2020 | CWA # 337

Anju Annie Mammen

The FATF Meeting, February 2020
February 2020 | CWA # 235

Lakshmi V Menon

Science, Technology and International Relations
September 2019 | CWA # 162

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

5G: A Primer
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 71

Mahesh Bhatta

Nepal
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 70

Nasima Khatoon

The Maldives
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 69

Harini Madhusudan

India
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 68

Sourina Bej

Bangladesh
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 67

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer

Afghanistan
United States
July 2018 | CWA # 47

Rahul Arockiaraj

East Asia
June 2018 | CWA # 26

Siddhatti Mehta