Shaza Fatima Chairs High-Level Meeting on National Data Governance Policy 2026

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja chaired a high-level consultative meeting on the proposed National Data Governance Policy 2026, as the government moves to establish a secure and coordinated framework for managing public-sector data.

During the meeting, the Pakistan Digital Authority presented the proposed policy framework, while representatives of federal and provincial institutions shared recommendations on data governance, legal alignment and implementation.

Officials said the policy is intended to create a secure, connected, and future-ready national data governance system. It will provide guiding principles for the protection, exchange, and responsible use of government data across public institutions.

Shaza Fatima described the policy as an important milestone in Pakistan’s digital transformation and said a national framework was essential for the effective protection, sharing, and responsible use of public data.

She said the government is the country’s largest custodian of data, making secure, transparent, and accountable data governance a key priority.

The minister also stressed that recommendations from all relevant government institutions would be considered before the policy is finalised to ensure that it remains practical and implementable.

The Pakistan Digital Authority will now revise the draft in light of the proposals presented during the consultation and prepare it for the next stage of approval.

Dr Sohail Munir said the policy would play an important role in supporting the National Digital Master Plan and the development of Pakistan’s Digital Public Infrastructure.

He clarified that the proposed policy does not recommend placing all government data in a single central repository. Ownership and protection of data will remain with the respective institutions responsible for collecting and managing it.

Instead, secure data exchange between government departments will be enabled through the “Wasl” framework, which is designed to allow trusted inter-agency sharing without transferring ownership of the underlying data.

Officials said the policy could improve coordination among government institutions, strengthen data security and support more efficient digital public services once it is finalised and implemented.

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